Erdoğan: Putschist Haftar Ran Away

Source: AA

Click to read the article in Turkish

Turkey has no plans for "adventurism" in Syria, Libya, or the Mediterranean, President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told his parliamentary group today (January 14).

"Most particularly, we do not have any imperial designs. We only aim to protect the rights and future of ourselves and our brothers," he said.

Also making remarks on the recent ceasefire efforts in Libya, Erdoğan said, "We will closely follow the developments between the putschist Haftar and the country's legitimate government. If attacks on the legitimate government and our brothers in Libya continue, we will not shrink from giving Haftar the lesson he deserves."

After gathering in Moscow to sign a cease-fire deal yesterday, the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) signed the deal, while Haftar left Moscow today without signing it.

"Putschist Haftar ran away without signing the deal," Erdoğan remarked. If Turkey hadn't stepped in, Khalifa Haftar would have occupied Libya, trapping its people in "claws of persecution," he asserted.

CLICK - Libya's Haftar Leaves Moscow Without Signing Ceasefire Agreement

On January 2, Turkey's parliament ratified a motion authorizing the government to send troops to Libya. On January 12, the warring sides in the Libyan conflict announced a cease-fire in response to the call of Erdoğan and Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

Syria ceasefire

"We are determined to stop the regime's attempts to violate the ceasefire, ourselves if needed. This is no joke. Everybody should see and accept that Turkey definitely does what it says," Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told his party's parliamentary group in the Turkish capital Ankara.

"I hope the ceasefire lasts," Erdoğan said, referring to the cease-fire that began early Sunday, succeeding an oft-violated de-escalation deal reached in September 2018.

Noting that previous cease-fires in the Idlib province were broken by the regime, he said, "This time, the situation is different."

Erdoğan stressed that 400 thousand Syrians must be returned to their homes under the cease-fire. He urged the international community to discuss the Syrian regime's use of violence. (PT/VK)