Ralliers in Lebanon pressure Turkey over abductions by militants in Syria

The families of the Lebanese nationals taken hostage by the foreign-backed militants in Syria have protested outside the Turkish embassy and the offices of Turkish airlines in Beirut.

The demonstration was held on Tuesday, when the protesters, who say that Ankara has huge influence over the foreign-sponsored armed groups in Syria, called on the Turkish government to facilitate the release of their family members.

The families added that they will step up their pressure on Turkey to secure the release of the abductees.

Turkey has been supporting the militants who fight against the government of President Bashar al-Assad since the unrest began in the Arab country over two years ago.

A number of foreign-backed Syrian opposition leaders live in Turkey, having held several meetings with their Arab and Western backers.

Eleven Lebanese nationals were kidnapped by the militants along the Turkey-Syria border in May 2012. Only two of them have been released.

Syria has been gripped by a deadly unrest since March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian army and security forces, have been killed in the violence.

Damascus says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.

The Syrian government has said that the West and its regional allies, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, are supporting the militants.