UPDATE - Turkey extends troop deployment in Lebanon's UN force

UPDATES WITH QUOTES FROM DEFENSE MINISTER

By Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) - The parliament on Monday approved the motion to extend the deployment of Turkish troops in Lebanon for another year as part of the UN’s interim force.

The term of Turkish soldiers in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, also known as UNIFIL, was extended from Sept. 5, 2017, to Oct. 31, 2018.

The extension has been granted 10 times so far since it was first approved by the parliament in September 2006.

Speaking in the parliament, Defense Minister Fikri Isik said Lebanon is a small country in term of geography; “however, it has key importance with regards to stability of the region".

"A state of chaos that has been created by Daesh terrorist organization in Iraq and Syria recently, the developments in Yemen and Libya,” and other regional tensions could negatively affect Lebanon's peace, tranquility and stability, he said.

The UNIFIL was established in 1978 when Israel withdrew from Lebanon. The peacekeeping force is intended to provide security and help the Lebanese government in rebuilding its authority.

Around 10,600 troops from 40 countries are part of the UNIFIL mission.

Isik also mentioned the talks over the Cyprus issue in Switzerland.

“Turkey has taken a position in favor of solution, not on the side of concession," he said.

"Turkey will proceed on its path without compromising the national interest of Turkish Public of Cyprus," the minister said.

The talks to reunify the island of Cyprus ended in failure last week.

Representatives from the EU, the Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaderships, and the guarantor nations of Turkey, Greece and the U.K., participated in the discussions that began at the end of last month to resolve the dispute.

The UN sought a peace deal to unite Cyprus under a federal umbrella that could also define the future of Europe's relations with Turkey, a key player in the conflict.

The Eastern Mediterranean island has been divided since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks, and Ankara's intervention as a guarantor power.