Sources close to Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said the minister returned from Ankara with “great optimism” that he would reveal soon on the fate of 11 Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria since May.

The sources told An Nahar daily published Sunday that a visit by Charbel and General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim to Turkey was “fruitful.”

President Michel Suleiman stressed on Saturday that Syrian President Bashar Assad should contact him to clarify the charges against Syrian officials in the case of ex-Minister Michel Samaha.

“It is expected; I swiftly contacted Assad when Syria accused 33 Lebanese figures of being linked to security matters in Syria… Today Lebanon is charging a Syrian official (Ali al-Mamlouk) and I am waiting for him to clarify the matter,” Suleiman told reporters at Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi’s summer headquarters in Diman.

Lebanon’s Central Security Council held an extraordinary meeting on Friday in order to tackle measures to prevent the blocking of the airport road in compliance with a cabinet decision following its session on Thursday.

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, who headed the meeting, said that the gatherers agreed to task the army and security forces with preventing the closure of the road, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel stressed on Saturday that Turkish officials are keen to resolve the case of the abducted Lebanese pilgrims in Syria.

“We agreed on continuing the mutual efforts in another meeting, scheduled to be held soon, to follow up the case,” Charbel’s press office said in a statement.

President Michel Suleiman hoped on Friday that no Syrian officials are linked to the attacks that were being planned in Lebanon by former minister Michel Samaha, reported As Safire newspaper on Saturday.

“I enjoy good ties with Syrian President Bashara Assad. I have nothing to hide. What I am most concerned about is the discovery of explodes in Samaha’s possession,” he said in response to being asked if the Syrian president had contacted him after the former minister’s arrest.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea accused on Friday the Syrian regime of being behind the recent instability in Lebanon, saying that it is “upset with the Lebanese government for its failure to properly support it during its crisis.”

He added during a press conference: “The Syrian regime is disappointed with President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati over the arrest of former minister and MP Michel Samaha.”

A national dialogue session was held at Beiteddine palace on Thursday during which the conferees agreed to “form a delegation comprising members of the dialogue committee with the aim of contacting the influential countries in a bid to secure the safe release of the Lebanese abductees” in Syria.

The delegation would also “stress keenness on the brotherly ties with those countries,” according to the closing statement of the dialogue session.

President Michel Suleiman on Wednesday presided over a meeting with all the chiefs of the Lebanese security agencies, after al-Meqdad clan abducted more than 20 Syrians and a Turkish national in retaliation for the kidnap of one of its members by Syrian rebels in Damascus.

Suleiman also held phone talks with Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Miqati “over the developments that took place today,” state-run National News Agency reported.

Head of the Mustaqbal bloc MP Fouad Saniora confirmed on Wednesday the March 14 camp’s participation at the national dialogue session scheduled for Thursday.

He held talks with President Michel Suleiman to inform him of the decision and discuss the latest local and regional developments.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said he would attend a national dialogue session set to be held on Thursday even if the March 14 opposition coalition decides to boycott the all-party talks.

In remarks to As Safir daily published Wednesday, Jumblat said: “I hail the president on the questions he asked as to how we could benefit from the arsenal of the resistance to defend Lebanon through a Lebanese defense strategy.”