Turkey’s warning to Haftar
TURKEY would retaliate heavily against any attack by Libya’s Khalifa Haftar on Turkish interests in the country, a senior Turkish official said, hours after the eastern commander’s forces threatened unprecedented air strikes.
The exchange of threats signalled further escalation after a week of setbacks for Haftar in his war against the internationally recognised government in Tripoli. Fathi Bashagha, that administration’s security chief, said at least eight Soviet-era jets had arrived in the east from a Russian airbase in Syria, possibly to assist in any new aerial campaign.
Haftar’s forces, backed by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russian mercenaries, launched the war to take Tripoli more than a year ago, pushing their way into the city’s suburbs. Turkish military intervention, however, has turned the tide in the battle, forcing Haftar’s troops to withdraw from a strategic airbase this week and to announce a partial pullback from the front lines.
Turkey is well prepared to defend its bases and other places under its protection using its drones and warships deployed near Tripoli, the senior Turkish official said yesterday. Any targeting of Turkish personnel could bring retaliatory attacks, including against Haftar’s headquarters, the official said.
The setbacks for Haftar were accompanied by a Turkish armed drone campaign that targeted Russian-made Pantsir air defence systems. One of the batteries was captured intact.
“You are about to see the largest aerial campaign in Libyan history in the coming hours,” Haftar’s air force chief Saqr al-Jaroushi said. “All Turkish positions and interests in all cities are legitimate targets for our air force jets, and we call on civilians to stay away from them.”
Bashagha said his Government of National Accord had received information that at least six MiG 29s and two Sukhoi 24s had arrived in the east. It wasn’t clear if they were refurbished jets that had belonged to Haftar’s air force or new additions to his fleet.
Earlier this week, UN acting Libya envoy Stephanie Williams warned of a possible escalation in the war for control of the oil-rich country.
Sudanese mercenaries, as well as Syrians, were also backing Haftar, while the UAE had supported him with armed drone strikes, according to Western officials.