Libya's Turkey-backed government says it will respond to threats from Egypt

Photo: AA/File

Libya's Turkey-backed parliament in Tripoli has criticized Egypt's move to send its soldiers to the country.

"We completely reject the Egyptian Parliament's decision based on an illegitimate invitation by those who claim to represent the Libyan tribes under the guise of 'parliament'," the parliament of the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) said in a statement yesterday (July 21), referring to the Tobruk parliament that is affiliated with Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA).

The parliament also asked the government "to be prepared to politically and practically respond to this threat, and to consider every option to give the correct response."

Egypt's parliament approved a proposal Monday (July 20) that empowers military intervention in neighboring Libya, according to state media.

In a secret vote chaired by Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal, the parliament authorized President Abdal Fattah al-Sisi to "take all necessary measures to protect the country's national security," Al Gomhuria daily reported.

The decision came a week after the Tobruk parliament gave Egypt a green light for military intervention in Libya for "protecting the national security" of both countries.

Al-Sisi said last month that the cities of Sirte and Jufra, for which the GNA has been preparing to launch a military offensive backed by Turkey, were their "red lines" and they would send troops to Libya to protect them.

After signing a security pact with the GNA in late 2019, Turkey has sent military personnel and equipment to Libya to support the Tripoli government in the war with the LNA. With Ankara's help, the GNA repelled the LNA offensive on Tripoli and captured several key locations.

Foreign Minister: Political solution is the only way

Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said yesterday that "Those seeking a military solution in Libya will be frustrated, as only a political solution will work."

"The only solution in Libya is a political solution. We've been saying the same thing since the beginning," Çavuşoğlu told a press conference in Niger's capital Niamey, alongside Kalla Ankourao, his counterpart in the country.

"Up to today, those who preferred a military solution were defeated in the field and failed," said Çavuşoğlu.

He added that those who turn their back on a political solution in Libya should know they do so in vain: "There is no other way."

Erdoğan spoke with Merkel

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the developments in Syria and Libya in a phone call, the Presidency's Directorate of Communications stated today.

They also spoke about bilateral relations, the coronavirus pandemic and economy and tourism, it said. (VK)