LIBYA
Speaking to Russian news agency Ria Novosti, Libya’s Khalifa Haftar warned “If the talks in Geneva do not result in peace and security in our country if the mercenaries do not return to where they came from, then our armed forces will defend their constitutional duties against the Ottoman-Turkish invaders.”
According to Ria Novosti, Marshal Khafter paid a visit to Russia. Russia supports Haftar forces in Libya.
In parallel, Turkish President Recep met with Fayyiz El Sarac, head of the Tripoli-based government in Istanbul on Thursday. The Turkish state had previously signed a military, security and maritime agreement with the Tripoli government in November 2019. This controversial agreement drew strong reactions from many neighbouring countries and the EU as the agreement determined the maritime boundaries of the Eastern Mediterranean denying Greece’s sovereign rights in the broader Eastern Mediterranean Sea
Turkey seeks to claim the hydrocarbon deposits to the sea area southeast of Crete, where Ankara claims to have maritime borders with Libya. The region which Erdogan had previously declared he is going to drill, is formed of Crete, Karpathos, Rhodes and Castellorizo as a wider region, is in fact within the borders of Greece.
OUR PATIENCE HAS LIMITS
Haftar also stated that Sarac and Erdogan did not comply with their commitments at the Libya conference in Berlin in January. At the conference, the international community made a commitment that they would not be involved in the conflict. “Our patience has its limits,” Haftar threatened.
THE AGREEMENT IS ONLY POSSIBLE IF THE TURKS AND PAID-SOLDIERS HAVE RETREATED
According to Haftar, the Geneva negotiations can only reach a conclusion with the “withdrawal of Turkish and Syrian mercenaries, the Turkish states cease of arms delivery to Tarablus and the destruction of all terrorist groups.”
Ghassan Salame, a UN special envoy to Libya, also said that a permanent ceasefire is “very difficult” but not “impossible”.
