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Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar discussed with Libyan officials in Tripoli today how they might react to a possible new attack by the forces of eastern Libya’s strongman, Brigadier General Khalifa Haftar. issued.
Libya was thrown into chaos after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 and has been ruled by two rival authorities since 2016: the UN-recognized Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) and Haftar’s allies in Benghazi. Turkey’s support has enabled the GNA to repel, in June 2020, the attack by Haftar’s forces, which have been trying to occupy the capital since April 2019. GNA now controls almost the entire northwestern side of the country.
Accompanied by a military delegation, Akar met today in Tripoli with his Libyan counterpart Salahuddin al-Namrous and Khaled al-Mehri, president of the GNA, which is affiliated with the GNA. Akar and Mekher called for “continued coordination” to repel a possible attack by “outlaw rebel Khalifa Haftar aimed at undermining Libya’s stability,” according to an official statement issued by HCE.
Despite a UN-sponsored ceasefire signed in October, inflammatory remarks by officials in Libya continue. On Thursday, Haftar called on his followers to “drive out the Turkish occupier.” There will be no peace “in the presence of a colonialist in our territories,” added the general, backed by Russia and the United Arab Emirates.
The Turkish minister also attended the graduation ceremony for Libyan military students trained in Turkey today, in the framework of cooperation between the two countries.
Turkey has sent drones, trainers and military advisers to Libya. The latter are mainly based in al-Watiya, the largest military base in the country, near the border with Tunisia. Turkey also controls a naval base and camps for Syrian mercenaries in Libya, according to Jalel Harsawi, a researcher at the Dutch Clingendael Institute.
Namrous “thanked the Turks for their support of the GNA” and said the government now wants to reorganize the Libyan army “shedding new blood.”
Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ
