The Foreign Ministry congratulated Lebanon’s newly-elected President Joseph Aoun, saying that Türkiye hopes the new government will contribute to the stability of the country and peace and prosperity in the region.
“We congratulate Mr. Joseph Aoun on his election as President of Lebanon,” a ministry statement said.
“We hope that the new government to be formed in the coming period will contribute to the stability of Lebanon and the peace and prosperity of the region,” it added.
Aoun, who has led the Lebanese army since 2017, became the fifth army commander in Lebanon’s history to ascend to the presidency, the fourth in a row, and the 14th president overall.
The Mediterranean country has been without a president since the term of Michel Aoun – not related – ended in October 2022, with tensions between the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and its opponents scuppering a dozen previous votes.
But international pressure has mounted for a successful outcome with just 17 days remaining in a cease-fire to deploy Lebanese troops alongside U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon after a Hezbollah-Israel war last autumn.
Aoun, who will turn 61 on Friday, is widely seen as the preferred pick of army backer the United States, as well as regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia.