Tag: conflict

French Media Accuses Turkey of ‘Poisoning the Atmosphere’ at NATO Meeting

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The explosive claims by French media come after Minister for Defence Florence Parly told a June 17 meeting of NATO defense ministers that “we can no longer pretend that there is not a Turkish problem.”

France earlier accused Turkish navy ships of engaging in “extremely aggressive” behavior in the Mediterranean, alleging the ships engaged their targeting systems as a threat to the French frigate “Courbet” during a June 10 incident off the coast of Libya. 

An unnamed attendee told Le Monde that the NATO meeting was “very tense.”

Turkey hit back at France’s allegations of aggression prior to the NATO meeting, claiming French “support for the rebel commander Khalifa Haftar has worsened the crisis in Libya and reinforced the suffering of the Libyan people.”

Turkish military adventurism in Syria and its continued willingness to supply arms to Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA), despite a United Nations arms embargo, has led French diplomats to warn of the “extension of the Ottoman Empire to the west of the Mediterranean.” 

Rising tensions between Turkey and France

The tensions between Turkey and France are long-running. In 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron suggested that a “crisis of solidarity” existed between Turkey and NATO. At a December 2019 NATO meeting in London, a number of European states including Germany and Italy supported French criticism of Turkey’s offensive against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria. 

Further increasing tensions within the bloc, Turkey has opposed plans to increase defense measures in Eastern Europe. Designed to counter Russian influence, Turkey is demanding that NATO designate the Kurdish militant group YPG terrorists in exchange for its support. 

Despite the difficulties NATO is facing, a diplomatic source told Le Monde that “Turkey will always have its place in NATO.” 

High-level Turkish Delegation Seeks Increased Cooperation with Libya

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On Wednesday, June 17, Prime Minister Fayez-Sarraj of Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA) met with high-level representatives from Turkey in Tripoli. The group was the most significant delegation to visit the country since rebel commander Khalifa Haftar launched his offensive on Tripoli in April 2019.

The Turkish delegation included Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Minister of Treasury and Finance Berat Albayrak, and Turkish Chief of Intelligence Hakan Fidan. Libyan officials in attendance included Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Siala, the Minister of Interior, Fathi Bashaga, and the Minister of Finance, Faraj Atmari. 

The meeting comes after a period of increased cooperation between the two governments with Turkey seeking to re-establish access to the Libyan market for Turkish businesses. Prior to the conflict in Libya, Turkish companies were dominant in the construction sector. The delegation is reported to have discussed cooperation in banking, infrastructure, and oil. 

One Turkish official suggested that the two countries could cooperate “on every imaginable project.” Turkey’s support for the GNA and aggressive moves to secure contracts for Turkish companies in post-conflict Libya are a source of concern for Libya’s neighbors. The populations of Tunisia and Egypt are particularly dependent on Libya for employment opportunities and cross-border trade.   

Turkish military support 

Turkey has provided significant support to the GNA including supplying them with arms, in contravention of the United Nations arms embargo, and providing Syrian mercenaries. International observers believe thousands of mercenaries, paid $1,500 per month, are in the country and fighting alongside GNA forces. 

In a further sign of the growing closeness between Tripoli and Ankara, Libya Review reports that the GNA has deposited $4 billion in the Central Bank of Turkey with a further $8 billion paid for Turkey’s recent intervention in Libya. 

In addition to the Syrian mercenaries, Turkey has sent 70 Turkish UAV drones to Libya, which cost over $5 million per unit, and hundreds of armored vehicles (KIRPI). 

Conflict continues 

Turkey may be looking to a post-conflict Libya but the conflict, which has been ongoing since the NATO-backed toppling of Muamar Ghaddafi in 2011, continues.

Earlier this month, the GNA was successful in repelling Haftar’s forces from Tripoli after over a year of fighting. Securing the capital was an important victory for the GNA. However, General Haftar’s forces maintained control over much of Libya including the majority of the country’s oil fields. 

The defeat comes amid unconfirmed reports the Russian Wagner Group mercenaries who previously fought alongside Haftar’s forces evacuated from Libya in May. 

On Saturday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi warned of “direct intervention” from Cairo should the GNA’s forces advance on the town of Sirte and instructed the Egyptian military to be ready to carry out operations. Sirte provides strategic access to the Haftar-controlled oil fields. Egypt, along with Russia and the United Arab Emirates, supports General Haftar’s forces. 

Libya responded to el-Sisi’s warnings in a statement that likened his comments to a declaration of war. 

UN: Libya Truce Talks Imminent

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A surprise statement by the UN late Monday has signaled that Libya’s warring parties have accepted a resumption of talks to establish a ceasefire. Both the Tripoli government (GNA) and the eastern forces led by Khalifa Haftar (LNA) appear to have agreed to the draft agreement that the UN mission in Libya (UNSMIL) proposed on February 23.

Unexpected ceasefire

The talks will revolve around establishing a sustainable ceasefire agreement but also cover “associated security arrangements,” according to the June 1 statement from the UN mission in Libya.

“UNSMIL emphasizes that the resumption of dialogue constitutes a response by the parties to the desire and calls of the overwhelming majority of Libyans who long for a return to a safe and dignified life as quickly as possible” the statement said. But UNSMIL is remaining cautiously hopeful within Libya’s difficult context.

The statement made sure to emphasize that it “hopes that the response of the parties coincides with the cessation of hostilities and a reduction in the use of incitement and hate speech.” The UN also signaled directly to the foreign powers that continue to interfere in Libya’s conflict, saying “UNSMIL also hopes that all parties, Libyan and international alike, heed the desire of the Libyans to end the fighting.”

Truce amid escalation

The statement came as many expected Libya’s conflict to enter a new escalation as increased aerial firepower was being introduced to its theater of war. Turkish drones, Russian jet-fighters, and even US brigades in neighboring Tunisia were bound to change the nature of the already chaotic conflict.

The Libyan conflict has repeatedly seen both sides either call for or reject appeals for ceasefires depending on which side was “winning” at the time.

For Libyans the statement comes as a welcome surprise as the conflict has evolved from a civil war to a proxy war between several foreign powers who introduce new weaponry and mercenaries to the country, prolonging a war over which Libyans have long lost control.

Continuing talks

The current potential truce has been made possible by the UN peace process in Libya. Both parties had agreed on many points in the first two rounds of Joint Military Commission talks in February, and the UN now hopes to build on that in the next round of negotiations.

In order for the talks to produce a comprehensive and sustainable conclusion, the UN has asked both sides to empower their representatives and commit to respecting the earlier agreed-upon conclusions of the Berlin Conference in February and UN resolutions. One of the UN resolutions the local mission is most eager to emphasize is the arms embargo that both sides and their foreign backers have repeatedly breached.

The first rounds of talks were concluded in Geneva, but in the interest of time, the next round will be done via videoconference as air travel continues to be restricted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The statement concluded with the UN mission in Libya expressing hope for a “professional, serious and responsible spirit” to build on the first two rounds of negotiations and hopefully produce sustainable peace in Libya.

 

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