India, July 31 -- Turkiye is interested in participating in a new security initiative for Lebanon when the 7,500-member UN peacekeeping mission in the south of the country expires at the end of the year, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a joint press statement with his Lebanese counterpart on Thursday.

Last year, the UN 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 UN is now considering options to help end the decades-old conflict between Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and Israel.

"After the withdrawal of the current international force, Turkiye wants to take part in all initiatives that will ...