Families of Pilgrims Urge on Suleiman to Summon Turkish Ambassador

The families of the abducted pilgrims held in Syria's Aazaz since May last year called on Thursday on President Michel Suleiman to summon Turkish Ambassador Inan Ozyildiz to urge him to resolve the matter swiftly.

“If the case wasn't resolved soon we will not only halt Turkish airlines flights but also Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport,” one of the protesters said.

“Enough promises,” the protester added.

Earlier, the families staged another sit-in to demand the release of the nine men, vowing to escalate their endeavors.

The sit-in, which was held near the Turkish airlines in al-Azarieh building in downtown Beirut, called on the Lebanese to boycott all Turkish products in Lebanon.

“We will obstruct the work of Turkish airlines and won't allow the employees to enter the building,” Ibrahim Awad, who was released in September by the abductors of the pilgrims.

Eleven men were kidnapped in May 2012 in northern Syria's Aleppo province as they returned by land from a pilgrimage in Iran. Two of them were released in August and September.

They were later taken to the Aleppo town of Aazaz.

The kidnapping was claimed by a man who identified himself as Abu Ibrahim and says he is a member of the rebel Free Syrian Army, but the opposition group denies any involvement in the abductions.

Awad stressed that the relatives of the 9 remaining men will block Turkish interest in Lebanon, announcing that a protest will be staged at night near Beirut's port.

He pointed out that protest tents will be erected near the Turkish embassy in Rabieh.

Awad stressed that the endeavors of the relatives of the men are not covered politically, noting that they will not “abduct anyone in retaliation.”

Protesters also blocked the entrance of the Turkish Cultural Center, which is adjacent to the Turkish Airlines offices, preventing employees from entering.

A delegation later headed to the Parliament and held a meeting with MP Ghazi Zoaiter.

“We came here to deliver a message to lawmakers and not to negotiate with them,” Adham Zogheib, the son of one of the pilgrims, told reporters.

On Monday, the families scuffled with army troops during a protest they held near the Turkish embassy.

Sheikh Abbas Zgheib, who has been tasked by the Higher Islamic Shiite Council to follow up the case, condemned what he called the attack on the protesters, saying it was the duty of the state and mainly the army to protect them.

The angry protesters staged a sit-in on Monday at the Karantina fish market and prevented Turkish refrigerated trucks from unloading their shipments.

Last week, the families of the pilgrims stopped Syrian workers in Beirut and its suburbs from going to work in a bid to put pressure on those holding their relatives.