Turkey, threat to regional security and Arab position

Hussam Al-Haddad

A careful reading of the behavior of the existing Turkish regime, which is mainly represented by the actions of its sole leader with absolute power, Recep Tayyib Erdogan, and his speeches, statements, threats and adventures reveals to us that there is no doubt about the “unauthorized” Turkish unconscious, which is the dream of recovering the time of captivity, abscess, the time of pirates, and attacks on the safety of the global navy, the time of the caliphate.

In response to these uncalculated expansionist policies, especially after Erdogan began sending terrorist mercenaries to Libya, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, affirmed that non-Arab military interventions in the Arab territories remain unacceptable in general from the Arab countries, according to what was reported by “Al-Sharq” news agency.

“An Arab League decision today regarding developments in Libya reflects an Arab stance rejecting interventions that exacerbate crises, complicate them and prolong their duration,” Aboul Gheit said, according to an official source with the Arab League Secretariat.

In a statement after its meeting on Libya, the Arab League Council affirmed “a commitment to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Libya and the refusal of external interference of any kind.

The council expressed “grave concern” over the military escalation, which exacerbates the crisis in Libya, stressing “the need to stop the military conflict.”

The Arab League declared that “the military escalation in Libya threatens the security and stability of the region as a whole, including the Mediterranean”.

She noted that “a political settlement is the only solution to the return of security and stability in Libya and the elimination of terrorism.”

The Council instructed the Secretary-General to make contact with international parties to prevent any military intervention in Libya.

International decisions

The council stressed “the danger of any Libyan party taking unilateral steps that violate the political agreement and international decisions in a manner that allows foreign military interventions and contributes to the escalation in Libya and the Mediterranean region.”

The Council also called for “supporting the political process through the full implementation of the Skhirat Agreement, and the importance of involving neighboring countries in international efforts aimed at helping Libyans settle the crisis.”

The League of Arab States held an emergency meeting, on Tuesday, December 31, 2019, at the delegate level, on developments in the situation in Libya. The meeting was held at the request of Egypt.

The Libyan National Army spokesman, Ahmed Al-Mesmari, said on Monday evening, December 30, 2019, that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatens the security of Egypt and neighboring countries by “transferring the Syrian terrorist militias to Libyan territory.”

He explained during a press conference that “Turkey is transporting terrorists to Libya through its airports and ports through flights not included in the list of regular flights from Istanbul and Ankara to Tripoli and Misrata.”

He stressed that “Erdogan seeks to establish a base for launching towards neighboring countries by controlling all sources of oil and gas in Libya, and he supports ISIS, Al Qaeda, illegal immigration gangs and arms smugglers.”

Clearing the capital

He continued, “Turkish President Erdogan wants to hit two birds with one stone, by sending the militants to Libya, first to get rid of these fighters who are a burden on his country, and secondly to control the goods of Libya.”

A spokesman for the national army also thanked the countries supporting the Libyan armed forces, and pledged to “clear the capital Tripoli of militias affiliated with the Turkish government as soon as possible.”

In the field, Al-Mismari confirmed that the army forces managed to enter key areas in the capital, Tripoli, pointing out that the forces are on the outskirts of the most important neighborhood, the Hadaba neighborhood.

The Libyan army continues its battles against the groups deployed in Tripoli, as it took control of the airport road leading to the center of the capital, only four kilometers away.

Haftar in Cairo

Politically, as developments on the Libyan crisis escalated, with the Turkish parliament beginning to discuss a memorandum authorizing the dispatch of military forces to support the “Al-Wefaq” government headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan Army, visited Monday, December 30, during which he discussed with Egyptian officials, developments in the battles in the Libyan arena and “efforts to combat terrorism and armed militias in the vicinity of the Libyan capital, as well as discussing more Egyptian support.”