Egypt's President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi has reportedly warned against attempts “to control” neighboring Libya, as tensions grow over Turkey’s expanding ties with the Tripoli-based government. Sisi’s remarks come after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed a readiness to send troops to Libya if requested by the country’s Government of National Accord (GNA).
Erdogan, who supports the GNA, met in Istanbul on Sunday with its head Fayez al-Sarraj, after the two countries signed maritime and military deals last month. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry has lambasted the agreements as “illegitimate.”
On Tuesday, state-run newspaper Al Ahram quoted Sisi as having told journalists on the previous evening: “We will not allow anyone to control Libya… it is a matter of Egyptian national security.”
While Turkey and Qatar support the GNA, Egypt backs strongman Khalifa Haftar who controls eastern Libya and has been battling since April to seize Tripoli, AFP said.