The UN acting envoy to Libya, Stephenie Williams has called for sanctions to be slapped on individuals who might spoil inter-Libyan talks next month to foster the formation of a unity government, Libya Observer reports. “Frankly, you need a unified executive if you want to move toward national elections, because you need a national government […]
Tag: Turkey
Turkey fumes over EU sanctions on maritime company accused of breaking UN Libya arm embargo
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry Monday slammed the European Union (EU) for imposing sanctions on a Turkish maritime company accused of shipping weapons to the UN-backed Government of Nations Accord (GNA) in violation of the UN arm embargo on the troubled oil-rich African country. “It has no value in our sight to add our maritime company to […]
Turkey, Qatar ink military cooperation deal with GNA to boost its military institution
Turkey and Qatar Monday deepened their footprint in Libya as the defense ministers of the two countries agreed to boost the military institution of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) headquartered in Tripoli. Turkish defense minister Hulusi Akar and his Qatari counterpart Khaled Al Attiyah met with GNA’s deputy defense minister Salah Al-Namroush in […]
Libya, Turkey sign MoU to boost trade, clear pending issues
Turkey and its Libyan ally UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) Thursday inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the area of trade and a new plan meant to solve pending issue, Libyan Observer reports citing Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan. The deal signed Thursday, according to Pekcan will lay the groundwork for resolving ongoing […]
Libya: Haftar rules out negotiations with Turkey in letter to Washington
Rebel General Khalifa Haftar has brushed aside every possibility of talks with Turkey and called on Washington to thwart arm delivery to Ankara-backed Government of National Accord (GNA). In a letter to the Trump administration, Haftar requested from the US an international monitoring of land and sea borders to disallow the arrival of weapons to […]
Libya: Air traffic resumes with direct flights to Turkey
The UN-backed Government of National Accord, GNA, Sunday reopened its sky for international air traffic with first flights bound for Turkey. Libyan Wings Airlines took off to Turkey, the first ever international flight after four months of hiatus owing to the covid-19 pandemic, reports Anadolu news agency, citing Misrata International Airport authorities. The second scheduled […]
Turkey opposes partition of Libya as military confrontation with Egypt looms
Turkey Tuesday said it opposes any form of division of Libya where it backs the UN-sponsored Government of National Accord (GNA), which is challenged by rebel Gen. Khalifa Haftar, backed by Egypt, UAE, Russia, France and USA. “We are absolutely against the breaking up of Libya, whether in reality, or on the map, or politically […]
Tobruk-based parliament calls on Egypt to intervene in Libya against Turkey
Libya’s Tobruk-based parliament has called on Egypt to operate a military intervention in view of flashing out Turkey that it accuses of invading the oil-rich country. The House of Representatives (HoR), close to Egypt-backed retired Gen. Khalifa Haftar, in a statement invited Libya’s Eastern neighbor to intervene “if there is an imminent threat to the […]
Turkey opposes ceasefire in Libya
Turkey Monday said a ceasefire in Libya would not benefit its ally, the Government of National Accord (GNA), which has been halted in its push to recover the city of Sirte and Jufra air base. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told local state broadcaster TRT Haber that the GNA needs to take back Sirte, the hometown […]
UNESCO deplores Turkey’s decision to change status of historic Hagia Sophia
As the Turkish President signed a decree on Friday converting the ancient Hagia Sophia in Istanbul into a mosque, the UN cultural agency (UNESCO) said that it “deeply regrets the decision” made “without prior discussion”. UNESCO had earlier in the day called on Turkey to abide by its “legal commitments and obligations” in accordance with […]









