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Turkey says Libya’s Haftar must avoid military solution

Thursday, 23 January 2020 12:51 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 23 January 2020 12:58 AM ]

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sit at the start of a peace summit on Libya at the Chancellery in Berlin, on January 19, 2020. (Photo by AFP)

Rahshan Saglam
Press TV, Istanbul

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Libyan military commander General Khalifa Haftar seems seeking a military solution to the conflict in the war-torn country. He urged the general to abide by calls for a political solution to the conflict in Libya and take steps to secure clam on the ground.

The remarks came after Haftar abandoned talks for a ceasefire in Moscow last week and the blockade of Libyan oilfields by his forces overshadowed a summit in Berlin on Sunday aimed at shoring up a shaky truce. Turkey says Haftar’s refusal to sign a joint communique in Berlin had raised questions about his intent.

Turkey supports the Tripoli-based internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj. It has also dispatched military advisers and trainers to help the GNA. Observers say Turkey is seeking to preserve its own share in the Mediterranean gas.

Haftar’s refusal to sign the Berlin communique will defiantly complicate the situation. Despite all parties agreeing on the halt of military support and committing to permanent ceasefire, Haftar still refused the deal.

Libya has been the scene of unrest since Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown by NATO-backed rebels in 2011. For more than five years, it has had two rival governments, in the east and the west, with streets controlled by armed groups.

If a political solution was not found to the conflict in Libya then Turkey will have to keep its promise to Sarraj and fight alongside his government, an option that as observers here say could create tension between Turkey and its allies.

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