Turkey has kept around 8,000 Syrian militants in Libya despite the ceasefire and the recent progress in peace talks, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on December 16.
“Despite the Libyan-led agreement and ceasefire, there are many questions about the reasons behind maintaining such a large number of mercenaries in Libya until now,” the London-based monitoring group reported.
Between late 2019 and early 2020, Turkey deployed more than 18,000 militants in Libya to back its ally, the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA).
Syrian militants helped GNA forces to repel an offensive by the Libyan National Army (LNA) on Tripoli. This came at a high cost for the militants, who lost at least 469 of their comrades.
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According to the SOHR, Turkey halted the withdrawal of Syrian militants from Libya about a month ago. Around 10,000 of them had already returned to Syria.
Ankara may be preparing for a new military escalation in Libya. In the recent days, there were many speculations by GNA supporters of a Turkish plan to deploy fighter jets, namely F-16s, in the country.
New satellite images confirmed that Turkey is preparing al-Watiya Air Base in western Libya for the deployment of such advanced fighter jets.
The Turkish preparations come at a time when the intra-Libya peace talks are witnessing some progress. The ceasefire in the country is holding very well. Furthermore, there are no indications of a new LNA attack on the Tripoli-based GNA. These factors indicate that Turkish-backed forces are the side planning an attack.
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This or next month they might try, depends whether Egypt and Russia sold it or not, because LNA alone can’t stand a chance if they go for Sirte https://twitter.com/MiddleEastWatc1/status/1335869449275133954?s=20
It is highly doubtful Biden would stop Erdogan in Libya, more likely support his moves there to balance against their support of the Kurds.
Sad that eastern governments allow Erdogan to expand in all directions, south into Syria and Iraq, north into Russia ( Armenia), and east across the Med., in Libya. An American proxy nation of jihadists, protected by the NATO ‘shield’. This mad ‘Calif’ must be stopped and Libya is just far enough away for him to learn, backing the LNA is Not ‘attacking Turkey by any stretch of the imagination.
Erdo was the useful idiot for Putin, until he turned against Putin. EU and US imposed sanctions on Turkey. Russia will take full advantage of Turkey’s difficulties and give them a good spanking.
Let the Turks be defeated in Syria and Libya. Round 2 of battles in Idlib an northern Syria will deflate the Turkish bubble even more. Let all these proxies be eliminated and let the Turks fight for themselves.
“Furthermore, there are no indications of a new LNA attack on the Tripoli-based GNA. These factors indicate that Turkish-backed forces are the side planning an attack.”
I don’t see that being the case at the moment. Turkey would lose too much doing that, especially if the peace deal continues to hold-up (which is has since October). Most likely, Turkey is doing this to prevent Haftar from getting a sort of “revenge”. When Libya gets a final united gov’t, I think Turkey would move on to working with the new gov’t, whatever it may be. So what I am saying is that a disruption on part of Turkey would harm it’s future interests.
On December 6th, Haftar’s forces moved into southwestern Libya, which he shouldn’t have done. Had he fought proxies on Haftar’s own eastern territory, the story would have been much different.
https://southfront.org/haftar-forces-attack-turkish-proxies-in-southern-libya/
People on here like Haftar on here for some reason, but I don’t think he’s a genuine good guy. Added with his close links to Washington, I see him as a sort of “Libyan Trump”- unreliable, action sensational, and looking to stir things for his own benefit.
“When Libya gets a final united government”. You might reevaluate the LNA, it is the elected government. When the Muslim Brotherhood lost the election in 2014, they tried to pull a coup and took Tripoli by force, so the elected representatives moved the government to Tobruk. Haftar left his American links behind him, otherwise they would be backing him, but they are backing the Muslim Brotherhood , or Al Qaeda instead. Qaddafi’s son has voiced his support to the LNA. Turkey’s only ‘interest’ in Libya is Oil, be it Libyan or as a “reason” to drill in Greek waters.