December 26th local time, Turkish Defense Minister Akar made a sudden visit to Libya. Libya’s power is divided between the east and the west, and Turkey strongly supports the Libyan “national unity government” in the west.
In response to Haftar, the leader of the armed “National Army” in eastern Libya, warning to Turkey that “leave or go to war”, Akar responded on the evening of the 26th that if the Turkish army is attacked, Haftar and his supporters will be targeted.
Akar made a surprise visit to Libya on the 26th, focusing on military cooperation between Turkey and Libya’s “national unity government”.
Speaking to the Turkish army deployed in Libya later that day, he said that Turkey would respond by force to any attack on Turkish soldiers.
If Haftar and his supporters take such action, “they will have nowhere to hide”.
After the overthrow of Gaddafi’s regime in 2011 due to Western intervention, Libya fell into long-term turmoil, and domestic power split into two camps, East and West.” The government of national unity” and its armed control of the capital Tripoli and other western regions have been recognized by the United Nations and supported by Turkey, Qatar and other countries.
The “National Army” led by Haftar allied with the National Congress to control the eastern and central regions, the major cities in the south and some western cities, with the support of Egypt, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries.
The “National Army” launched an offensive against Tripoli last year, and once attacked outside the city.” The government of national unity, with the support of the Turkish army, reversed the war and drove the “National Army” to the east of Sirte.
With the mediation of the United Nations, the two sides of the Libyan conflict signed a ceasefire agreement in Geneva, Switzerland, on October 23 this year, deciding to implement a “complete and permanent” ceasefire throughout Libya.
The two sides held a political dialogue in Tunisia in November and agreed to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on December 24, 2021.
On the 24th of this month, the Turkish government announced the extension of the military in Libya. Haftar then responded that if Turkey does not stop its military intervention, the “national army” will use force to expel.
