Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar made a surprise trip to Libya on Saturday, two days after Fort Khalifa Haftar asked his fighters to expel Turkish forces from the oil-rich country.
The Turkish defense ministry said Akar would inspect Turkish forces in Libya during the visit, while Libyan officials said the talks would focus on military cooperation between Tripoli and Ankara.
Turkey supported the National Settlement Government (GNA), based in Tripoli and recognized by the United Nations, with military advisers, material and mercenaries against a last year offensive by Haftar, based in the east.
Ankara also has a large military base in the Al-Watiya region, on the Libyan border with Tunisia.
Akar’s visit to Tripoli also came after the Turkish parliament adopted a motion this week to extend the deployment of forces in Libya by 18 months.
Upon landing in the Libyan capital, Akar spoke to his counterpart Salah Eddine Namrouch and later met Khaled el-Mechri, who heads the High Council of State aligned with the GNA, said a statement from the HSC.
Turkish and Libyan authorities agreed during the negotiations to “seek coordination in an attempt to repel any hostile action” by Haftar that could destabilize Libya, the statement added.
Turkish support for the GNA helped prevent the April 2019 offensive by Haftar, which is supported by Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
– ‘New blood’ –
During a speech on Thursday, Haftar said “there would be no peace in the presence of a colonizer on our land” and asked his forces to “prepare”.
“Therefore, we will take up arms again to shape our peace with our own hands … and, since Turkey rejects peace and opts for war, be prepared to expel the occupier by faith, will and weapons,” he said .
Libya was thrown into chaos after a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 collapsed and led to the death of longtime dictator Moamer Gaddafi.
Plagued by violence since then, the North African country has become a battleground for tribal militias, jihadists and mercenaries and an important gateway for desperate migrants bound for Europe.
Two rival camps now vie for power, with an administration based in the east – backed by Haftar – opposed to Tripoli’s GNA.
But in October, the two sides reached a ceasefire agreement, which has generally been respected, setting the stage for elections later this year.
On Saturday, GNA defense minister Namrouch told local media that Libya was struggling to build a military institution that would respect international standards.
“The Turks helped the GNA and we thank them for that. But now we want to reorganize the Libyan army and inject new blood into it,” he said.
Later on Saturday, Akar is due to attend a graduation ceremony in Tripoli for military cadets who were trained in Turkey as part of cooperation with the GNA, Libyan Defense Ministry sources told AFP.
fo-rb / hkb / sw