TEHRAN, December 23 - With the interception of an arm shipment containing Turkish-made weapons on Tuesday in Libya's Koms port, the two country kicked off a joint investigation into the mysterious issue.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - The shipment reportedly contained 3,000 Turkish-made handguns, as well as other handguns, hunting rifles and ammunition, according to Benghazi's Benina airport customs services statement.
A day earlier, a cargo of 2.5 million Turkish-made bullets was seized at the same port, Reuters reported.
Both the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord and its rival government of Khalifa Haftar condemned the recent weapons shipment and demanded an explanation.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu denied Ankara's involvement in the arms shipment, asserting that the actions "do not represent the policy or approach of the Turkish state."
"We are going to take firm measures on this subject," Cavusoglu said during a joint press conference with his Libyan counterpart in Tripoli on Saturday.
"We are starting an investigation to determine how the arms were loaded into containers and how they entered Libya."
Libya has been under a UN arms embargo since 2011, after a NATO intervention led to the assassination of the nation's long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi, plunging the country into a state of chaos and anarchy.
Despite the embargo, UN experts have documented deliveries of weapons from various nations, including Sudan, Egypt, Turkey and United Arab Emirates, according to the AFP.
Source: Sputnik News
Your Comment