Turkey forms its own ‘Revolutionary Guard’ in North Africa with Brotherhood’s help

Nahla Abdel Moneim

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seeks to control Libya’s economic oil and gas wealth, taking advantage of his partnership with the Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj by flooding the country with terrorist militias and armed mercenaries in the hope of resolving the conflict in its favor, as it has become a tool to achieve his aspirations of a new caliphate in the Middle East.

The website Africa Intelligence reported in June 2020 that Turkish company SADAT took advantage of the current partnership between Erdogan and Sarraj to carry out joint missions with a Libyan security company led by Libyan Brotherhood leader Fawzi Abu Ketf through contracts for military training signed immediately after the Turkish interference in the country began.

Sending arms and mercenaries to Libya

SADAT is run by Adnan Tanriverdi, a former Turkish army general who worked as a military advisor to Erdogan. The company works under the auspices of Turkish intelligence and through contracts signed with Abu Ketf to train terrorists transferred from Syria to Libya months ago to strengthen the GNA against the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

According to the London-based newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, LNA Brigadier General Khaled al-Mahjoub stated that the services monitored the work carried out by SADAT for the benefit of the GNA, as it acts as a mediator in arms deals, military equipment and the transport of mercenaries.

Turkish ‘Revolutionary Guard’

Asharq Al-Awsat quoted Tanriverdi as saying that Turkey has the right to have a military company similar to many other countries in the world.

The Turkish general added that his company will contribute greatly to his country’s foreign policy, as it has the right to send militants according to contracts concluded with other companies. He pointed out that SADAT will generate a strong return for Turkey’s economy, so the strategy of its work depends on providing international services in the field of training, armament and military consulting, while the company has sought to conclude contracts with entities in North Africa.

Impact of mercenaries in North Africa

With the spread of extremism and unrest in North Africa as some of countries enter new transitional and political stages, mercenary and armed groups pose a serious threat to the security of the region, particularly as these mercenaries are run by an entity with a colonial agenda in the Middle East.

In this regard, Libyan MP Saied Amogheb revealed information indicating the infiltration of some mercenaries and terrorist militias transferred from Syria to Tunisia via the border with Libya.

Amogheb said that Tunisian Parliament Speaker and Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi is no different from Brotherhood leaders in Libya, including Ali al-Sallabi, as they all belong to one ideology, which belongs to a terrorist group, not homelands.