BEIRUT: Lebanese officials praised Turkey as a model of democracy and freedom in the Middle East, after Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development party achieved its third consecutive victory in parliamentary elections.
Future Movement leader and Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri congratulated Erdogan for his victory in Sunday’s election during a phone call Monday.
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt, who congratulated Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Erdogan, said that Turkey proved itself as an influential regional power after it endorsed the democratic model.
Jumblatt added that the Turkish model, which combines secularism and an Islamic current, can promote political and cultural diversity, which leads to economic growth.