Turkey urges end to Haftar support as presidents of Egypt & US discuss Libya

Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi and his US counterpart Donald Trump discussed by phone on Monday the Libya conflict and talks about Ethiopia’s giant Blue Nile Dam, the Egyptian presidency has said. They agreed to maintain a ceasefire in Libya and avoid an escalation there, according to the statement.

Earlier on Monday, Turkey called for an end to support for rebel commander Khalifa Haftar in Libya. “It is essential that all kind of help and support given to putschist Haftar, which prohibits ensuring Libya’s peace, tranquility, security and territorial integrity, ends immediately,” AFP quoted Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar as saying. His comments came after a meeting with the interior ministers of Libya and Malta at the Defense Ministry in Ankara.

Turkey stepped up its support for the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) earlier this year, after Haftar launched an offensive in April 2019 to seize the capital.

The GNA signed security and maritime agreements with Turkey last year, and Ankara’s military support including drones helped it re-impose control over Libya’s northwest.