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Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has warned that General Khalifa Haftar’s forces could become a legitimate target for Turkey if it tries to attack Turkish troops stationed in Libya.
He made the announcement Sunday after inspecting Turkish troops stationed in the war-torn country. Referring to Khalifa Haftar as a war criminal and assassin, Hulusi Akar said: “If they take that step, they will not be able to find a place to escape.”
At the same time, the Turkish Defense Minister recalled the 500-year historical and cultural ties between Turkey and Libya, and said Ankara extended its cooperative hand when the legitimate government of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) was hesitant to cooperate with other world powers.
Referring to the GNA government recognized by the UN as the only legitimate government in Libya, Hulusi Akar said: “The real problem for Libya is the rebel forces backed by Haftar and his supporters.”
Akar said that the 21 mass graves found in the city of Tarhuna have again revealed the crime of genocide in Haftar.
“Sadly, the world is still silent about this,” he said. But we believe that GNA will not allow this crime against humanity to continue.
He called on the International Court of Justice to continue investigating Haftar’s war crimes and bring him to justice for his actions.
In April 2019, General Haftar, backed by Russia, France, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, attacked the UN-recognized Libyan government GNA, but the GNA prevented the attack with the help of Turkey.
On Saturday, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar paid a surprise visit to Libya and met with senior Libyan officials. The visit comes just two days after Haftar called on his fighters to expel the Turkish army from the oil-rich country.
Turkish military chief Yashar Gul and other military officers also accompany the defense minister.
During the visit, the Turkish Defense Minister met with the President of the Libyan High Council of State, Khalid Misri, the Defense Minister, Saladin Namrush, and the Interior Minister, Fathi Bashagar.
A statement from Tripoli said that Turkish and Libyan officials discussed mutual coordination in their talks in response to Haftar’s hostile move to destabilize Libya.
Also on Saturday, Hulusi Akar attended a closing ceremony for military cadets in Tripoli. These cadets were trained in Turkey as part of their collaboration with GNA.
Turkey sent military advisers, equipment and mercenaries to the UN-recognized GNA government in Tripoli last year when it was attacked by forces backed by General Khalifa Haftar, Libya’s eastern warlord. In November 2019, several military cooperation and maritime border agreements were signed between the two countries.
As part of the 2019 agreement, the Turkish army has been providing training assistance and advisory support to the Libyan army. There is also a huge military base in the Al-Watia region of Libya, which borders Tunisia.
The visit comes after the Turkish parliament passed a resolution last week to extend the deployment of Turkish troops for another 18 months.
The North African country, ravaged by war and violence since the 2011 Arab Spring, has become a battleground for tribal fighters, extremists and mercenaries. At the same time, the country has become one of the main gateways for reckless immigrants to Europe.
The country is currently divided between two rival forces, the Tripoli-based GNA government and Khalifa Haftar-backed forces in the east. Last October, the two sides signed a ceasefire agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, general elections will be held across the country at the end of next year.
Source: Daily Sabah
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