Turkey say France, to stay out of Libya conflict

[Reuters]

Turkey has blamed France for instability in Libya after French President Emmanuel Macron accused his Turkish counterpart of failing "to maintain his word" to place an cease to meddling within the North African united states.

"The main [actor] answerable for the problems in Libya since the crisis started out in 2011 is France," Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy stated in a declaration on Wednesday.

"It's no secret that this country has given unconditional support to Haftar so one can have a say concerning natural resources in Libya," he added, relating to renegade navy commander Khalifa Haftar who controls lots of Libya's south and east.

The French leader claimed in advance on Wednesday at a assembly with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis that Turkish warships accompanying Syrian mercenaries arrived in Libya in recent days.

Macron said the action changed into a "clean violation" of what Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised on the Berlin conference on January 19 where world leaders pledged to stay out of the Libyan conflict.

"These beyond few days we have visible Turkish warships accompanied by Syrian mercenaries arrive on Libyan soil. This is a serious and express infringement of what became agreed upon in Berlin," Macron stated, regarding the worldwide summit.

"It is a failure to preserve his word," Macron added.

However, Aksoy said Macron "became once again trying to set the agenda with fanciful claims".

Since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has been mired in chaos, with rival administrations aligned with numerous militias controlling specific parts of the country.

Turkey supports the United Nations-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli against Haftar, whose forces are aligned with an eastern-based administration.

Fighting escalated in April after Haftar released an offensive to wrest manage of the capital, Tripoli, from the GNA, headed by using Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj.

Haftar, who enjoys the backing of the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, says his military campaign is geared toward removing "terrorist groups" from western Libya.

French policy 'extreme chance'

Aksoy stated France's guide along different countries giving military help to Haftar who's attacking "the valid government" changed into "the maximum critical danger to Libya's territorial integrity and sovereignty".

The Turkish ministry spokesman added: "If France wants to contribute to selections of the [Berlin] conference being applied, it must first stop its assist for Haftar."

Ties between Paris and Ankara are increasingly more strained over multiple issues, including Syria and the oil and gasoline exploration activities within the eastern Mediterranean.

Aksoy additionally accused France of welcoming "terrorists who threaten Syria's territorial integrity" to the Elysee, in a connection with Syrian Kurdish officials meeting Macron ultimate year at his official residence.

Meanwhile, the African Union's high-stage committee on Libya changed into due to meet in the Republic of the Congo's capital Brazzaville on Thursday to discuss the situation within the war-torn country.

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