Turkey Says Foreign Mercenaries Should Leave Libya, but It Has Accord with Libyan Govt

Turkey Says Foreign Mercenaries Should Leave Libya, but It Has Accord with Libyan Govt

Turkey and Germany agree that all foreign mercenaries in Libya need to leave the country, but Ankara has a bilateral agreement with the Libyan government for its troops to be stationed there, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan that the withdrawal of foreign troops from Libya would be an “important signal” as both leaders vowed to support the new interim government, a German government spokesman said.

Speaking at a news conference with his German counterpart Heiko Maas in Berlin, Cavusoglu said Turkish troops in Libya were there under agreement with Libya’s previous Government of National Accord and should not be confused with the foreign mercenaries stationed there.