Libya’s renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar has banned commercial flights from Libya to Turkey and ordered his forces to attack Turkish ships and interests in the North African country, his spokesperson Ahmed al-Mismari said.
Turkey supports Libya’s United Nations-recognized government in Tripoli, which on Wednesday took over Gharyan, a strategic town south of Tripoli, from Haftar’s forces.
“Orders have been given to the air force to target Turkish ships and boats in Libyan territorial waters,” al-Mismari said on Friday, adding that “Turkish strategic sites, companies and projects belonging to the Turkish state (in Libya) are considered legitimate targets by the armed forces”.
Al-Mismari said Turkish aircraft “provided air cover” and bombed Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) positions in the fight for Gharyan.
“All flights to and from Turkey are also stopped and any Turkish (nationals) on Libyan territory will be arrested,” he said.
Turkey is reported to have supplied drones and trucks to forces allied to Tripoli Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. LNA on the other hand is reported to have received backing from France, United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
The fighting in Libya heightened in April, as Haftar’s forces attempt to take over Tripoli from al-Sarraj’s forces.
Libya has been dogged by violence since 2011, following the ouster and death of former president Muammar Gaddafi. The war has killed thousands and displaced millions as militant groups and human trafficking cells seek to impose their command in various regions across the country.
