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Turkey's finance minister avoids politics, sticks to economy

The visit of Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek to Lebanon aimed at building economic ties and avoiding more controversial foreign policy matters.
Turkey's Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek speaks during the 4th Istanbul Finance Summit in Istanbul September 19, 2013. Turkey will get only brief relief from the surprise postponement of a reduction in U.S. economic stimulus and must press ahead with plans to rebalance its own economy, Simsek said on Thursday. To match Interview TURKEY-ECONOMY/ REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS) - RTX13R39
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Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek's visit to Beirut on June 11 was not met with considerable media hype. Its content and symbolism, however, carry various signs and messages, especially since it follows a series of crises, both in Turkey and in the neighboring Levant.

It should be noted that the last time there was an official Turkish presence in Lebanon was in October 2013, on the occasion of the release of the two Turkish pilots who were kidnapped in Lebanon. That was a security visit par excellence, as it managed to steal the spotlight given the importance of the release itself, and because it came against the backdrop of sharp political divisions in Lebanon about Turkey's position on the Arab revolutions and the ongoing war in Syria specifically.

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