Ankara on Wednesday accused eastern Libya commander Khalifa Haftar of seeking to “create a military dictatorship” and vowed to defend the country’s Tripoli-based government, Russia Today reported.
Haftar, who controls swathes of eastern Libya, launched an offensive in April of last year to seize Tripoli. He said on Monday that his self-styled army had “accepted the will of the people and its mandate.”
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said that with this announcement, Haftar “has once again demonstrated that he does not seek a political solution to the crisis in Libya, does not support international efforts in this regard … and aims to create a military dictatorship in the country.”
The Turkish government backs Libya’s UN-recognized Government of National Accord in Tripoli and had earlier dispatched troops and pro-Turkish Syrian fighters there, AFP said.
