Erdogan in new bid to win Libyans’ hearts

Ahmed Adel

The regime of Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, tries to use the name of well-known Libyan resistance figure Omar Mukhtar in order to win the hearts of Libyan citizens as Turkey interferes in their country.

The British newspaper, The Guardian, revealed in a recent report that Turkey would send a new unit of fighters to Tripoli to shore up the Government of National Accord (GNA) that controls the Libyan capital.

Surprisingly enough, the newspaper said in the report that was published on January 16, Turkey calls the unit Omar Mukhtar.

It said Ankara is using the name of this great resistance figure, executed by Italy in 1931, to win over the Libyans.

The GNA signed contracts with the mercenaries sent to Libya by Turkey for six months. These mercenaries are supposed to fight side by side with the militias of the Tripoli-based government against the Libyan National Army (LNA).

They receive $2,000 each every month in return. Turkey also promised the mercenaries to give them its citizenship and treat them in Ankara.

A general who oversaw Turkish operations in northern Iraq and participated in thwarting the presumed 2016 coup attempt against Erdogan, namely Lt. Gen. Khalil Suweisal, commands Turkish operations in Libya.

Earlier in January, the Arab Organization for Human Rights, which is based in London, called for launching an inquiry into the crimes of the mercenaries sent to Libya by Turkey.

It called on the United Nations to intervene immediately to denounce these crimes.

The German government invited, meanwhile, LNA Commander, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, to participate in the Berlin conference on Libya.

The conference kicked off on January 19 in the presence of a host of world leaders, along with representatives of regional and international organizations.