Image copyright
fake pictures
France is suspending its role in Operation Sea Guardian, saying Turkey does not “respect” Libya’s embargo
France temporarily withdrew from a NATO security operation amid a major dispute with Turkey.
The defense ministry said France had suspended its role in Operation Sea Guardian, accusing Turkey of violating an arms embargo against Libya.
It comes weeks after Turkish ships allegedly attacked a French warship in the Mediterranean, something Ankara flatly denies.
NATO allies are believed to support different sides in Libya’s civil war.
Due to the violence since Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was deposed by NATO-backed forces in 2011, the oil-rich nation is a key transit point for migrants heading to Europe from Africa.
Currently, the UN-backed National Accord Government (GNA) is fighting against General Khalifa Haftar’s forces that control large parts of eastern and southern Libya.
Why is France withdrawing from the operation?
French relations with Turkey have become increasingly tense in recent months due to the Libyan crisis, Turkey’s role in northern Syria and drilling in the eastern Mediterranean.
But the key incident occurred on June 10, when the French frigate Courbet went to inspect a Tanzanian-flagged cargo ship, Cirkin, off the coast of Libya, to verify whether it was smuggling weapons.
Image copyright
fake pictures
Turkey Allegedly Attacked Courbet Three Times With Its Weapon Systems
At the time, the French ship was participating in NATO’s Operation Sea Guardian, which among other things maintains freedom of navigation and plays a role of “maritime anti-terrorism”.
What happened next is still in dispute. According to French defense forces, Turkish ships escorting Cirkin, which they said carried medical supplies, acted aggressively towards Courbet and even attacked it with their weapons systems three times.
Turkey denies the French charge, saying the interaction was amicable. Since then, France has asked NATO to investigate the incident.
Both countries have exchanged insults in recent weeks. On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron accused Turkey of “historical and criminal responsibility” in the Libyan conflict, “for a country that claims to be a member of NATO.”
Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said on Tuesday that France had been “destructive” in the North African nation and accused the country of trying to “increase Russia’s presence in Libya.” On Thursday, he asked France to apologize for his allegations about Courbet.
Now France has suspended its role in Operation Sea Guardian. “There is no point in maintaining our assets … with allies who do not respect the embargo,” said a French defense official.
Turkey is fast becoming a stone in NATO’s shoe.
This latest dispute with France is only the last issue to raise questions about Turkey’s position within the alliance. Tensions over her approach to Libya come after similar differences between Ankara and key allies over her interventionist approach to Syria. Turkey has even delayed the approval of the Baltic defense plans as part of this row.
Then there is his decision to buy Russian S-400 air defense missiles, which has resulted in his suspension of the US F-35 combat program, and to top it off, there are broader tensions in the Mediterranean with his former rival and member of NATO, Greece.
Turkey is pushing the limits of what is acceptable within the alliance. But given the distractions of the Covid-19 pandemic and President Trump’s ambivalent attitude toward NATO, such tensions are likely to continue to escalate.
What is the bottom line?
Both sides in Libya’s civil war have international support. Turkey, Italy and Qatar are on the side of the GNA in Tripoli, while Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates support Gen Haftar.
Meanwhile, France is also believed to endorse General Haftar, although leaders in Paris have repeatedly denied it.
There is a UN arms embargo to prevent men and material from entering the country, but it has had little effect.
Turkey agreed to a military cooperation agreement with the GNA in 2019 and deployed troops to the country in January.
- Turkey risks falling further into the Libyan conflict
- Why is Libya so illegal?
Last month, GNA forces finally regained full control of Tripoli thanks to increased help from Turkey. General Haftar reportedly withdrew his forces from the city’s suburbs.
A leaked UN report in May said hundreds of mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close associate of President Putin, were operating in Libya in support of General Haftar.
There are reports that the Wagner Group is evacuating the country, although these have not been confirmed.
Media playback is not supported on your device
