Libya’s Interior Ministry denies presence of Turkish military officers in the country
On Friday, the spokesman for Khalifa Haftar’s forces in eastern Libya, Ahmed Al-Mismari, said his commander (Haftar) announced a ban on any commercial flights from Libya to Turkey and will prevent any Turkish ships from docking in the country.
Al-Mismari said in a weekly presser that any aircraft arriving from Turkey attempting to land in the capital Tripoli would be treated as hostile, adding that the same would apply to Turkish ships docking at Libyan ports.
“Libyan National Army (LNA) force would attack any Turkish military presence, without elaborating.” Al-Mismari said.
He also vowed to target Turkish nationals on Libyan soil, citing President Erdogan’s assistance to “militias under the GNA, especially in the capture of Gharyan city on Thursday.”
The Interior Ministry said the news about Turkish military officers in Libya is a rumor that aims to sideline the great efforts the Libyan Army is doing to defend legitimacy and the civilian state by protecting Tripoli against Haftar’s forces.
“We assure all foreign communities, including the Turkish workers in Libyan firms and institutions that they will be safe and secure as they will be put under protection by the Interior Ministry’s security personnel.” The statement reads.
It denounced the threats made by Haftar’s forces spokesman Ahmed Al-Mismari against Turkey and its people.
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