Turkey on Wednesday urged France to stop supporting Libya’s renegade commander Khalifa Haftar.
“FRANCE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR LIBYAN CRISIS”
“If France wants to contribute to the implementation of decisions taken at the [Berlin] Conference, it should first stop supporting Haftar,” Hami Aksoy, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said in a statement.
Aksoy’s remarks came in response to French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks during a joint news conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Holding France responsible for the Libyan crisis that emerged in 2011, Aksoy said France “unconditionally supports Haftar to have its say on the natural resources in Libya”. Haftar’s attack on the legitimate government is a threat to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Libya, he added.
Underlining that a permanent cease-fire should immediately be achieved in Libya as discussed at the Berlin Conference, Aksoy said his country expects from France that it plays a positive role in establishing security and stability in Libya.