Turkey has dismissed prospects for a ceasefire in Libya saying that an agreement incorporating the existing front lines of the conflict would not benefit the internationally recognized National Accord Government (GNA).
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the coastal city of Sirte and al-Jufra air base must be turned over to the GNA before it accepts a ceasefire.
The self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) based in eastern Khalifa Haftar has backed down after Turkish support helped the GNA delay its 14-month assault on the capital Tripoli.
When asked about a possible operation against Sirte, owned by LNA, Cavusoglu said there was a diplomatic effort to resolve the problem.
“There are preparations for an operation, but we are trying [negotiation] table. If there is no withdrawal, there is already a military preparation. They [GNA] it will show all the determination here, “he said in an interview with state broadcaster TRT Haber on Monday.
Any further progress by the GNA would give it an opportunity to take control of Libya’s “oil crescent”, the region where most of its energy is produced and exported.
Oil exploration
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Libyan government gathers evidence of war crimes against Haftar |
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates, which supports Haftar’s forces alongside Egypt and Russia, continue to work for an immediate ceasefire and a return to a political process in Libya, said Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the UAE.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. The two men discussed the war in Libya and Syria, where they back rival sides, the president’s office said, without giving details.
Turkey and the GNA signed a maritime delimitation agreement last year, which Ankara says creates an exclusive economic zone from its southern coast to the northeast coast of Libya, and protects resource rights in the eastern Mediterranean.
Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said in May that Turkish Petroleum, which had applied for an exploration permit in the eastern Mediterranean, can start oil exploration in the region in three to four months.
Cavusoglu said Monday that Turkey will begin seismic drilling and research operations on natural resources in the part of the eastern Mediterranean covered by the agreement. It did not provide a time frame.
He added that Turkey was open to sharing with third-country companies such as Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and Russia.
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