Turkey has lost a friend with Lebanese intelligence chief’s death, Turkish FM says

ISTANBUL

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. AFP Photo

The assassination of Lebanese intelligence chief Wissam al-Hassan in a bomb attack in Beirut on Oct. 19 has deprived Ankara of a friend, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has said, daily Milliyet has reported.

“Al-Hassan was a close friend of Turkey,” Davutoğlu said. “We lost a friend.”

The killing of al-Hassan was “as critical an incident as the assassination of [Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic] al-Hariri in 2005,” Davutoğlu said.

Damascus is believed to have perpetrated the killing of al-Hariri, a former business tycoon.

The foreign minister also shared his concerns over the latest attack, adding that the incident could cause more problems between Syrian and Lebanon.