Tripoli asks for Turkish military backing
The prospects of Ankara deploying troops in Libya has sparked opposition from the United States and Egypt
The activation by Libya’s Tripoli-based government of a deal with Turkey that foresees military assistance by Ankara has placed major powers, not least Washington, on edge regarding its regional ramifications.
The US State Department urged all countries to “refrain from exacerbating civil conflict.” “External actors must stop fueling conflict. All countries must refrain from exacerbating civil conflict and support a return to the [United Nations]-facilitated political process,” a State Department
spokesperson said in a written response to a question by Hellas Journal. “The outcome should be the launch of intra-Libyan dialogue, de-escalation and withdrawal of external forces.”
The prospect of Turkish troops deploying in Libya has also caused jitters in the Gulf states and placed Cairo on alert, with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi reportedly telling his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades yesterday in a telephone conversation that Ankara is destabilizing the region.
According to the Middle East Monitor website, the Egyptian government has decided to back the forces of Khalifa Haftar that are laying siege to Tripoli with Russian-made tanks.
Meanwhile, referring to the memorandum between Libya and Turkey demarcating maritime borders, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said Ankara “is involved in a fight that it cannot win.”
Wrapping up a regional tour to drum up support, Dendias told reporters yesterday in Jordan that “we will continue our efforts, we will continue with seriousness and moderation to explain our position, and I think we will succeed in the end.” Dendias was to visit Rome today for talks with his Italian counterpart Luigi di Mayo. However, their meeting was postponed until early next year, so that consultations can be held between Greek and Italian experts on the possibility of converting the existing 1977 continental shelf agreement between the two countries into one demarcating their exclusive economic zones.