Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shakes hands with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun during their meeting at the presidential palace in Ankara, Türkiye, July 30, 2026. Last year, the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to terminate the peacekeeping mission known as UNIFIL, bowing to demands from the United States and its close ally, Israel. “The end of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, deployed in southern Lebanon, will constitute an important development,” Erdogan stated. Erdogan pledged support to Lebanon’s post-war economic recovery and to support the cash-strapped Lebanese army. “Of course, our support for the Lebanese Armed Forces will continue in the security context,” Erdogan said.