Turkish mercenaries transferred to Libya via Belhadj Airlines Company

Nora Bendary

After the Turkish Parliament voted on January 2, 2020 to send non-combat troops to Libya, Ankara seemed to consider sending Syrian fighters and mercenaries to fight alongside the Al-Sarraj government militias.

The Turkish troops indeed embarked via the Libyan airline, Ajniha, which it owned “Abdelhakim Belhadj”, the Libyan terrorist residing in Turkey.

Radio France International «RFA» revealed that the Libyan Airlines Company “Afriqiyah Airlines” and the Libyan Airlines owned by “Belhaj” have transported fighters from Turkey to Tripoli.

Between 27 and 29 December 2019, four planes landed at the Maitika airport in Tripoli, carrying Syrian fighters from the pro-Ankara brigades, and the flights were not registered.

The Al-Sarraj government denied, claiming that Ankara had not transferred its mercenaries to Tripoli, but Turkish officials revealed in statements to them published by Reuters in late December 2019 that Ankara was considering sending fighters from the allied Syrian factions to Libya, and meetings were being prepared.

It is worth noting that, on December 27, 2014, the “Libyan Wings” airline, inaugurated by the airline Ajniha.

Since the company’s inception, Belhadj has been working to serve it to serve the interests of Turkey and Qatar. Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, revealed in statements to him on the Facebook site on December 27, 2019 that Belhaj has contributed to times Previously, Turkish intelligence and via the Erdogan government moved thousands of jihadists from Libya into Syrian territory.

After that, the Syrian Observatory announced that the elements that arrived in Libya via the Turkish lands, who are about 300 fighters, are nothing but a group of mercenaries recruited by the Turkish government, from the Turkmen element opposed to the Syrian regime and loyal to Ankara, who promised them to obtain Turkish citizenship upon their return from Fighting in Libya.

In addition, Abd Hamid al-Mahbash, co-chair of the Executive Council for Self-Management for Northern and Eastern Syria (the region under the control of the Kurds), made it clear in a statement on December 27, 2019, that Turkey was exploiting mercenaries to send them to Libya and other areas in implementation of its expansionist agenda, and that After 4 centers were opened within the headquarters of the pro-Turkish factions to attract fighters in the Syrian Afrin region, which was confirmed by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, indicating that the Syrian factions loyal to Turkey opened centers to register the names of people wishing to go to fight in Libya.

“Iyad Al-Majali,” a researcher specializing in international relations, explains that “Belhaj” is the most prominent leader in the Libyan Brotherhood and supportive of the Turkish army’s operations and political system in Ankara. Therefore, his airline has intentionally implemented unregistered flights coming from Turkey to transport fighters.

Al-Majali said in a statement to the “reference” that the Libyan state’s inability to fully control the movement of air contributed to this, especially the “Maitika airport” which is located in the far country, and is subject to the authority of the Al-Wefaq government led by the “Al-Sarraj”. For the purpose of camouflage, it is claimed that those on board are civilians.