On July 3, OpenFacto.fr released an exclusive summary of open source data confirming Turkish supplies of weapons and military equipment to Libya in violation of the UN-imposed arms supply embargo.
The summary entitled “Turkey’s shadow arms deliveries” provides a closer look at six cases of Turkish violations of the UN embargo. This includes supplies of BMC Kirpi II, BMC Vuran and ACV-15 vehicles, T-155 Firtina self-propelled howitzers, Oerlikon 35 mm towed anti-aircraft guns, KORKUT self-propelled air-defense gun systems, MIM-23 Hawk low to medium altitude ground-to-air missile systems, AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radars, and 9K11 Malyutka anti-tank guided missiles. These weapons are supplied by Turkey to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord or directly used by Turkey forces to support the GNA in its battle against the Libyan National Army.
The “Executive Summary” of the report reads as the following:
Findings
- These six cases successfully demonstrate how Turkish manufactured heavy armament or weapons part of the Turkish arsenal have been delivered to GNA-affiliated factions in Libya. Between May 2019 and March 2020, five deliveries were identified from start to finish. Additional deliveries – successful or attempted – were associated with the vessels or planes identified. A pattern aiming at concealing the origin of goods, senders and routes to Libya emerged from the analysis:
- Logistics: using mainly non-Turkish shipping lines for transport, working with arms traffickers.
- Navigation: using coastal roads to circumvent risky European territorial waters for Turkish shipments, departing from a foreign country with a stop-over in Turkey or indicating a false arrival destination.
- Technical: spoofing AIS data and “going dark” to avoid detection.
- Physical: changing the appearance of the boat.
- Human: changing from international crews to Turkish crews prevent any information leak.
- Military: using Turkish military frigates to escort boats to prevent interception in European seas or attacks at the final destination.
- Security: strengthening physical and online operational security with less and less opportunities to get deliberate or accidental images of vessels, deliveries, materials.
- Research on MV AMAZON indicates a clear violation of the arms embargo by Turkey. We are able to identify the shipment of a large number of armored military vehicles manufactured by BMC Otomotiv Sanayi ve Ticaret AS, as well as other lethal arms, which were received by pro-GNA militias. The shipping operation was conducted by a Turkish company specializing officially in fruit and vegetable transportation, which has also been involved in arms trafficking for other armed groups, allegedly including the Russian security company Wagner.
- The aircraft ER-BAJ appears to be part of a recurring transport link between Turkey and Libya, operated by civil aviation companies previously involved in arms trafficking:
- A Libyan company, GASG/Global Air Transport, chartered the 747 Boeing and is known to have transported arms in Libya and Somalia.
- The plane’s owner Aerotranscargo is a Moldovan company previously accused of having delivered weapons in Libya and Syria.
- Open source research reveals circumstantial evidence around MV SINGLE EAGLE’s possible involvement in arms transit, showing:
- Turkey could be in violation of the arms embargo by delivering new equipment to Libya
- Hawk and Korkut anti-aircraft defense systems – on the MV Single Eagle.
- The ship is associated with the German subsidiary of the Lebanese Abou Merhi Group: AML Ship Management GmbH.
- Following the arrest of MV BANA’s captain in Italy on its return from Libya, open-sources brought to light a new arms shipment from Turkey in violation of the embargo, with the possible dissemination of the materiel to pro-GNA factions. MV BANA can be identified at
the port of Tripoli and in Turkey prior to its journey. The ship also belongs to the Abou Merhi Group, which was sanctioned for two years by the United States Treasury for logistical support to a drug trafficker affiliated with Hezbollah. Abou Merhi Group and its affiliates were removed from sanctions list in 2017 but the recent suspected activities raise questions over this decision.- MV ANA, owned by an Albanian shipping company, was targeted by an air strike in Tripoli Port, while allegedly making an arms delivery to the GNA. An attempt was later made to conceal a second delivery by MV ANA by changing its name to MV PRAY, repainting it and spoofing its IMO number on the AIS system. Strong questions remain on the administrative compliance of MV PRAY with the International Maritime Organization for the registration of the IMO number and with Tanzania for using a Tanzanian flag. In addition, the investigation reveals the likely involvement of military entities in managing containers not delivered to Libya following the boat interception by the French army.
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Approach
- This report investigates the Turkish Government’s support to Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA), setting out a methodology to detect arms embargo violations through open-source research.
- OpenFacto looked at six suspected cases using the following methodology:
- The detection of arms deliveries reported by Libyan newspaper and social media, identification of the weapons, manufacturers and links with Turkey.
- The identification of the mode of transport, vessels/planes, reconstruction of the routes, identification of shipping companies and assessments of their previous activities.
- The identification of the sender and recipient of the delivery, as far as is possible.
- UN resolutions on the arms embargo on Libya indicate the circumstances under which arms deliveries are permitted or constitute a violation. Exclusions in Libya are limited to arms and material protecting international organizations and NGOs, or ensuring order for the recognized government (GNA) following approval from the UN Committee. None of the case studies were either declared, approved or fall into the above exclusions.
- Based on the research conducted for this report, OpenFacto has been able to develop a methodology for the detection of embargo or sanction violations using open-source information. This provides a framework for initial research in the field and also highlights areas
for further investigations beyond OSINT.
While most of the facts mentioned are an open secret and were repeatedly covered by mainstream and alternative media, the “Turkey’s shadow arms deliveries” report is a useful and up-to-date summary allowing to get a look at how Ankara provides its policy in Libya.
Another interesting trend highlighted by the report is the current state of tensions within NATO member states and the US and its allies, in general. According to data provided on the main page of the French-based organization “OpenFacto”, at least one of its members is also a member of the infamous outlet “Bellingcat”. Over the past years, Bellingcat has become widely known as a useful tool in pushing of pro-US and pro-NATO propaganda as well as the ‘general Western’ narrative. Nonetheless, in 2020, we can see how members of the very same organization participating in a project working to damage interests of a NATO member state, Turkey, which is now engaged in the conflict with another NATO member state, France. This is how the modern ‘NATO unity’ looks like. (MORE ABOUT THE TURKISH-FRENCH TENSIONS HERE)
Some highlights from the report:
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As I said, it is getting too late for the stupid Egyptian cowardly cunts to do anything now. Turkeys are flaunting a UN arms embargo with full NATO and Americunt support, while little Putin ponders about the Wagner Group who can turn the tables in one day.
This is more a European Union problem than Russian, as Europe clearly prefers Turkey to have them by the bollocks in a decades time after Russia diverts it’s energy resources east. Lets see how reliable the Turks are over 50 years of transit taps control.
Neither Turkey nor Russia is reliable. Everyone is on their own
The Soviet Union proved it’s reliability even through the height of the Cold War and the Russian Federation has been no different, the only bump in the road has been a certain thieving state presently run as a private enterprise and Biden princely estate.
meeeh
Not really, the Politburo handled Afghanistan very poorly just like Syria. They should have imposed a heavy cost on Pakistan which was a conduit for terrorists, just like Turkey is today. The GRU recommended that but the old dying Politburo hacks did not have the balls or the will, just like Putin today. Turkey is a very weak, internally fragmented, economically weak state and simply does not have the strategic mass to fight two wars, one 1500 kms away. It is the weakness of others that is encouraging the goat fucker Erdogan to act such brazenly. Russian should have used the S-400 from get go and declared a NO FLY ZONE in Syria. After all the Turkeys are invaders in both cases. Secondly, the Egyptian cunts have a third rate military that is totally controlled by Americunts and can not even take a leak without CIA permission. So unless, the Wagner Group and GRU are given a free hand, the stupid cunt Erdogan will be out of control. He is openly taunting Russia by buying weapons from the Uki arseholes.
Turkey is openly flaunting the UN arms embargo and is illegally occupying Libya and conducting a massive land grab in Syria with proxy terrorists and the UN is impotent and implicit in such illegal crimes. But then again, UN has been complicit in US and Zionist crimes against humanity for a almost a century now. The UN like NATO is an outdated defunct dinosaur and needs to be put down.
The secret plane sorties must continue and the best time would have been when this Ukrainian system was in transit in a truck or so . What are they waiting for? Oh! ..let me guess ,A political solution ; which means Turkey is rewarded for invading.
If only Haftar had a diesel electric submarine that could lay mines around the harbor entrance.
Business is business
I don’t see any problem with arm deliveries of Turkey as Russia is stacking tons of arms and planes in Sirte to be used by Wagner lately. So does the French and others like Egypt. Remember it was the “ethical and honest” France who toppled Gaddafi and murdered him in front of the cameras. Later US secretary “honest” Hillary Clinton transported tons of arms to Syria to start a civil war in 2011. So now Turkey is the bad boy? What a hypocrisy.
Problem here is that European energy interests within Libya are under threat with Libya becoming an extended Turkish protectorate.
I don’t see Russia getting involved other than providing possible military space asset level intelligence, but I definitely do see France, Egypt, Greece, Italy and UAE being involved at the overt and covert level of intervention against Turkish infrastructure and their Libyan proxies.
Actually, all the NATO cunts minus Greece are supporting the Turkeys with logistics, illicit weapons transfers and intel. The LNA is pretty much on its own after Putin stood down the Wagner Group. If it had SSM the Turkeys simply could not resupply their occupation forces in Libya. Hezbollah, in 2006 with antiquated and inadequate C-802 shut down the whole Zionist cunts navy in a day after the pride of Zionist bathtub navy the Hanit was hit in broad daylight and crippled, only if Hezbollah then had more SSM. If the LNA had modern SSM the Turkeys are toast.
u r an idiot–UAE , France provides weapons to the LNA, not Russia
So much evidence of illegal Turkish activity and yet no UN sanctions, what a joke this world has become. It’s increasingly obvious there is no international law anymore (if there ever was). These kind of thug-led states can simply get away with whatever they want, including funding literal terrorist groups and breaking arms embargoes, and the UN just looks the other way.
It exposes the very imperialist nature of UN and its outdated structure.
turkeys seek to hegemonies former French muslim colonies where some French troops are engaged seeking to eradicate the turkey ISIS elements…Erdogan has been active in this region…Tunisia refuses to side w turkeys; likely Algeria will not side with France; however they have plenty of difficulties at home….USA, UK, France deposed Qadaffi because he had procured an estimated 300-400 tonnes of gold and silver with which he planned to create a North African currency to replace the French CFA, which was used by several former French colonies. with Libya in turmoil due to franko anglo empire, turkeys r trying to compete w China and France currently–except for their ISIS proxies turkey has little support. Reporting on the level of support for French USA troops in Africa is unreliable—some claim there is public support others claim little. It is interesting that only 8 NATO nations sided w France: UK, USA is siding with Turkey and therefore the GNA