Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Wednesday that Lebanon is counting on Türkiye to contribute to its economic recovery, support the implementation of the U.S.-mediated framework agreement and help strengthen stability in southern Lebanon.

Ahead of his first official visit to Türkiye on Thursday since taking office in January 2025, Aoun told an interview with the Anadolu Agency (AA) that Lebanese-Turkish relations have "the potential to move to advanced levels of cooperation.”

"Türkiye has a central position in the current regional scene, and coordination with it is a strategic necessity, not a temporary option,” he said.

Lebanon and Israel signed the U.S.-sponsored framework agreement on June 26. The deal provides for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territory in return for the deployment of the Lebanese army there, along with the disarmament of armed groups, including Hezbollah.

"Türkiye’s NATO membership and broad regional ties qualify it to play a supportive role in the international promotion of the framework formula and to encourage relevant parties to fully comply with its terms,” Aoun said.

"Türkiye can contribute to the success of this track, especially since the framework that emerged from negotiation rounds in Washington and Rome requires broad regional and international follow-up to ensure its implementation on the ground,” he added.

The Lebanese president stressed that Beirut is committed to implementing the framework agreement.

"But the success of this agreement depends on clear guarantees, foremost among them a full Israeli withdrawal that is simultaneous with the deployment of the Lebanese army, a permanent halt to violations and attacks in the south, and an effective international mechanism to verify both sides’ compliance, so that Lebanese commitments do not become a unilateral step in the absence of a corresponding Israeli move,” Aoun said.

"We call on Türkiye, given its regional weight and multiple relationships, to support this track politically and diplomatically in a way that strengthens its chances of success, prevents it from becoming an agreement with incomplete implementation, and contributes to supporting Lebanon’s efforts to achieve the Israeli withdrawal and strengthen international efforts aimed at preventing any security vacuum in the south, in line with our keenness to preserve stability in this sensitive area,” the president said.

Asked about Türkiye’s possible role in supporting Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability, Aoun said: "Ankara, as an active regional state, has real tools of influence and can contribute to supporting the Lebanese state and its legitimate institutions, foremost among them the army, in a way that strengthens the extension of state authority over all territory.”

"Türkiye can also use its relations to contribute to controlling the eastern and northern borders and preventing any arms smuggling or infiltration that threatens Lebanese security,” he said.

"We are not asking Türkiye for a role that replaces the Lebanese state, but for a supportive and complementary role that aligns with our effort to place arms solely in the hands of legitimacy and stabilize the country after years of war,” he added.

Aoun said Lebanon looks forward to strengthening cooperation with Türkiye in supporting state institutions, especially the army, and opening new horizons for cooperation on border stability and combating the transfer of illegal weapons.

On the economic front, Aoun said Lebanon is counting on Türkiye to contribute to economic recovery in Lebanon through investment, trade and reconstruction.

"This could be done by encouraging Turkish companies to pump direct investments into Lebanon’s productive sectors, activating existing trade agreements, removing logistical obstacles to the exchange of goods in a way that eases the burden on Lebanon’s struggling economy, and benefiting from Türkiye’s wide experience in reconstruction,” he said.

On military cooperation, Aoun said the Lebanese army needs multi-level support to strengthen its deployment and extend state authority.

"The Lebanese army is facing an existential challenge in extending the state’s authority over all its territory,” he said. "This requires multi-faceted support: modern equipment and gear, specialized training, and logistical support that enables it to deploy effectively in sensitive areas, especially in the south, where its deployment is supposed to coincide with a full and simultaneous Israeli withdrawal.

Aoun said he will raise with the Turkish side the possibility of expanding the existing military support and training programs, especially since Ankara has shown readiness to contribute to strengthening the capabilities of the Lebanese military institution.

"But at the same time, we emphasize that any Turkish support comes in addition to existing U.S. and international support, not as an alternative to it,” he said.

Asked about the possibility of Türkiye joining an international force that could replace the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the south, Aoun said: "This file is still under discussion.”

"There are multiple proposals, including one that speaks of a European force led by France and Italy, another that proposes Turkish participation with NATO support, alongside other proposals that include Arab and Islamic countries,” he said.

"For us, the priority is to ensure that no security vacuum occurs after UNIFIL’s mandate ends,” Aoun said. "Any proposal to form an alternative force, including possible Turkish participation, will be viewed from one angle: its ability to support the Lebanese army in extending its authority and ensuring stability in the south.

"We are not in the process of excluding any serious partner in this track, but the final decision remains linked to broader international consensus and to what serves Lebanese sovereignty first,” he added.

"Türkiye has contributed through UNIFIL’s naval force to peacekeeping in the south,” Aoun said. "This participation was effective in controlling maritime movement toward Lebanon over the past years, in coordination with the Lebanese army’s naval forces.”

Asked about Hezbollah’s rejection of any negotiating track with Israel and its impact on efforts to implement cease-fire understandings and address outstanding issues, Aoun said: "The size of this challenge cannot be underestimated, as any negotiation or implementation track needs a minimum level of internal consensus to succeed on the ground.”

"The Lebanese state, represented by the presidency and the government, is the only party constitutionally authorized to make decisions related to sovereignty, security and foreign relations, and this is what we constantly insist on,” he said.

"At the same time, we realize that the success of implementing the ceasefire understandings and addressing outstanding issues, foremost among them placing arms solely in the hands of the state, requires a cumulative approach and continuous internal dialogue, away from confrontation, so that everyone becomes convinced that Lebanon’s supreme interest lies in a strong state with its legitimate institutions alone, not in the continuation of division over decisions of war and peace,” he added.

On reports about a possible Syrian role or mediation in placing weapons under Lebanese state control, despite repeated denials by Damascus, Aoun said: "The decision to place arms solely in the hands of the Lebanese state is an exclusively Lebanese sovereign decision.”

"There is no room for any mediation or external interference in it, whether Syrian or otherwise,” he added.

"The Syrian side itself has repeatedly affirmed, at the highest levels, that it does not intend to intervene militarily in Lebanese affairs, and that its support is limited to backing the principle of placing weapons and decisions of war and peace in the hands of the Lebanese state,” Aoun said. "This is a position we welcome, and it aligns with our vision of the sovereignty of Lebanese decision-making.”

The Lebanese president said he stressed during meetings with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa that coordination between the two countries should be at the level of political leadership and based on respect for each country’s sovereignty and noninterference in internal affairs.

"As for statements or speculation about a broader Syrian role, these are media interpretations that do not reflect any negotiating reality or official position,” he said. "We are always keen to correct any confusion that may arise regarding this sensitive file.”