Libya : Turkey Urged To Withdraw Troops

Libya’s Foreign Minister, Najla al-Manqoush has called for the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya as it heads toward elections later this year. On Monday, May 3, 2021, the top diplomat of the interim government urged Turkey to implement U.N. Security Council resolutions demanding the repatriation of more than 20,000 foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya. Her remarks came during a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, who was visiting the capital Tripoli alongside Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and other top military and intelligence officials.  “We call on Turkey to take steps to implement all the provisions of the Security Council resolutions and to cooperate together to expel all foreign forces and mercenaries from the Libyan territories,” she said.
Mevlut Cavusoglu responded by saying that Turkish forces were in Libya as part of a training agreement that was reached with a previous Libya administration. Turkey has been closely involved in Libya, backing the UN-recognized Government of National Accord based in Tripoli that controlled the west of the country, against the offensive by Haftar and his self-styled Libyan National Army. They sent military supplies and fighters to Libya, helping to tilt the balance of power in favour of the Tripoli government and also signed an agreement with the Tripoli-based government delineating the maritime boundari...