Friday, 17 July 2020_Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Egypt is taking “illegal” action in Libya by supporting the rebels there.
“Steps taken by Egypt here, especially their siding with the putschist Haftar, show they are in an illegal process,” Erdogan said on Friday, referring to the commander of the rebels in Libya, Khalifa Haftar, who led an unsuccessful offensive to overtake the capital, Tripoli, starting in April last year.
Erdogan also condemned the approach of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the Libyan conflict as “piratical.”
Egypt and the UAE have been supporting the Libyan rebels against the internationally-recognized government in Tripoli, which has been able to deal major blows to the rebels in recent weeks thanks to crucial Turkish support.
Erdogan emphasized that his country would maintain its support for the Libyan government.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi has formerly indicated that his country would take military action in Libya in direct support of the rebels. He said on Thursday that Cairo would “not stand idle” in the face of what he called threats to the national security of Egypt and could arm Libyan tribes against the internationally-recognized government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj.
Some Libyan factions, including prominently the pro-rebel parliament in the eastern city of Tobruk, have been beckoning Egypt to enter the Libyan conflict militarily, like the UAE.
Your Comment