Erdogan says Turkey will increase military support to Libya if necessary

By Tuvan Gumrukcu

 

FILE PHOTO: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan leaves after the Global Refugee Forum at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 17, 2019, REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

 

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey will increase its military support to the internationally recognised government of Libya if necessary and will evaluate ground, air and marine options, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday, after the two signed a military cooperation accord last month.

 

Turkey backs Fayez al-Serraj's Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya, which has been torn by factional conflict since 2011, and has already sent military supplies to the GNA despite a United Nations arms embargo, according to a report by U.N. experts seen by Reuters last month.

 

Turkey has also said it could deploy troops to Libya if the GNA makes such a request. The GNA has been fighting a months-long offensive by Khalifa Haftar's forces based in the east of the country. Haftar's forces have received support from Russia, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

 

Speaking in the northern province of Kocaeli, Erdogan said Turkey had recently provided "very serious" support to the GNA, adding Libya was a country Turkey would support "with its life".

 

"They are supporting an illegal warlord, who is the pawn of certain nations, instead of the U.N.-recognised government," Erdogan said, in an apparent reference to Haftar and the countries which support him.

 

"If necessary, we will increase the military aspect of our support to Libya, and evaluate all our options, from the ground, air and sea," he said.

 

Speaking before Erdogan, Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said Turkey will stand by Libya's government until peace, stability and security are established in the country.

 

MARITIME ACCORD

Last month, Turkey and the GNA signed an accord to boost military cooperation and a separate deal on maritime boundaries, which has enraged Greece. Ankara and Athens have been at odds over hydrocarbon resources off the coast of the divided island of Cyprus.

 

While Greece has said the accord violates international law, Turkey has rejected those accusations, saying it aims to protect its rights in the eastern Mediterranean. On Sunday, Erdogan said Turkey will "absolutely" not turn back from its agreements with Libya.

 

"Nobody should come to us with attempts to exclude us, trap us in our own shores or steal our economic interests," Erdogan said. "We have no intention of starting conflicts with anyone for no reason, or robbing anyone of their rights," he said.

 

"Those who oppose us have no sense of rights, law, justice, ethics or mercy," Erdogan said, referring to Greece, Israel and Egypt, who have opposed the maritime accord.

 

In an interview with Greek daily To Vima on Sunday, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the accord with Libya was in line with international law, adding Ankara may consider granting exploration licenses in areas determined by Turkey and Libya.

 

"It would be the exercise of our sovereign rights in our continental shelf in the region," Cavusoglu said. "The exercise of our sovereign rights also and naturally includes our right to deploy research vessels in the area," he was cited as saying.

 

In a first reaction from the United States on the agreement, a senior State Department official said the maritime accord was "unhelpful" and "provocative".

 

Responding to those comments, Turkey's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on Sunday the United States refused to understand Turkey's legitimate security concerns.

 

"It is neither 'provocative' nor 'unconstructive' as some US officials are claiming," Altun said on Twitter. "Those who dare criticize Turkey should take a look at years of provocative actions by Greece and other regional states. We will never accept a fait accompli over our maritime borders!" he added.

 

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Catherine Evans and Alexandra Hudson)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-12-23

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4 minutes ago, webfact said:

Erdogan said. "We have no intention of starting conflicts with anyone for no reason, or robbing anyone of their rights,"

Except for when we want to...

32 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Except for when we want to...

It remains a Henry Kissinger like world..where "realpolitik" just about trumps everything.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Those who oppose us have no sense of rights, law, justice, ethics or mercy," Erdogan said, referring to Greece, Israel and Egypt, who have opposed the maritime accord.

Says the man who purged and imprisoned thousands of his elit army, scholars and judicial subject for opposing his views, sees nothing wrong with declaring war on the Kurds, invade, destroy and decemates many of the Kurdish towns and their inhabitants... not to mention north Cyprus being invaded and occupied by the Erdogan's high moral grounds...

Maybe he could tell them how to fake a coup and get away with it Erdog is a master of it????

Since the entire middle east has been properly turned upside down by Uncle Sam, why not finish the job and tell Erdogan in unclear terms, that he also has outstayed his welcome on Planet Earth. 

It left Iraq, Egypt and Libya in a total mess so, in all fairness, it will not really make a big difference if another fidel country goes down the drain.

It is time to stop all these madmen, IF they start threatening outside their countries borders; as long as it remains domestic, let their own people deal with them. 

Politically incorrect but possible to the point - as far as I am concerned at least! 

The question is: how much support and aid will Trump give to his pal, Erdogan? Maybe Erdo can make Trump a junior sultan.

A few years ago, he was screaming for NATO help seen powerful Syria. Then NATO Patriots had to be installed in Southern Turkey.

7 hours ago, zydeco said:

The question is: how much support and aid will Trump give to his pal, Erdogan? Maybe Erdo can make Trump a junior sultan.

It's not that simple. The main rebel force is actively supported by S.A. and the UAE, which are Trump's best friends.

Edited December 23, 20196 yr by candide