Turkey, Qatar pull out of Lebanon talks

DOHA, Qatar, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- A day after Saudi Arabia said it was pulling out of mediation talks to create a new government in Lebanon, Qatar and Turkey followed suit, officials said.

The Qatar News Agency said a decision was made Thursday by Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to leave the country after two days of intensive talks in Beirut failed to produce a new government.

A statement issued in the names of Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheik Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani said the "efforts resulted in a working draft that takes into account political and legal demands to resolve the current crisis in Lebanon based on the Syrian-Saudi initiative. But given certain reservations, they decided to suspend their efforts in Lebanon for the time being and to leave Beirut in order to consult with their leadership."

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal Wednesday told al-Arabiya the situation in Lebanon is "dangerous."

Lebanon's political crisis erupted after 11 ministers affiliated with Hezbollah resigned their posts last week, forcing the government led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri to collapse. The move was in response to an international tribunal investigating the assassination of Hariri's father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, killed by a powerful car bomb in Beirut in 2005.

Hezbollah had demanded Hariri denounce the tribunal, a request he refused.

Earlier this week the United Nations-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon investigating Hariri's death issued sealed indictments against those responsible, which reportedly include members of Hezbollah.