France urges US to do more to enforce Libya embargo, as Turkey waits for ‘apology’ from Paris over naval standoff

France’s Foreign Ministry on Friday rebuffed US assertions that a European Union naval mission to enforce a UN weapons embargo on Libya was biased and not serious. “We call on all our partners – starting with the United States – to step up their action, as the EU is doing, to hinder recurrent violations of the arms embargo and to help relaunch a political process inclusive,” said spokeswoman Agnes von der Muhll.

Turkey has intervened in recent weeks in Libya, providing air support, weapons and allied fighters from Syria to help the internationally recognized, Tripoli-based government to repel a year-long assault by the forces of eastern Commander Khalifa Haftar, Reuters said.

Ankara has accused France of supporting Haftar politically, having previously given him military assistance to fight Islamist militants.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Friday his country still expects an apology from NATO ally France over an alleged naval standoff in the Mediterranean Sea that prompted Paris to suspend its involvement in a NATO naval operation.