Following a controversial search of a Turkey-flagged ship carrying humanitarian aid to Libya, the EU said Operation Irini “had found no evidence of illicit material on board.”
EU Commission spokesman Peter Stano claimed in a statement that officials of the Greek-led Operation Irini suspected violations of the UN arms embargo on Libya due to the course of the Roseline A cargo vessel.
“THE INSPECTION WAS SUSPENDED”
Stano argued that prior to the inspection, Operation Irini gave a four-hour notice to the Turkish Foreign Ministry as the flag state and agreed to extend the notice by an hour upon the request of the Turkish Embassy in Rome, where the operation’s headquarters are located, said Stano.
“Having received no answer from Turkey after the elapsed time, Operation IRINI boarded the vessel and inspected it in accordance with internationally agreed procedures including NATO procedures,” he said.
“The inspection was suspended later on, when Turkey formally and with delay notified Operation IRINI of its refusal to grant the permission to inspect the vessel. Until then, the inspection had found no evidence of illicit material on board and the vessel was cleared to pursue its route,” he added.
The German frigate was involved in Operation Irini, a European mission launched earlier this year to enforce the UN arms embargo on the war-torn North African country of Libya, though it has been accused of bias in favor of warlord Khalifa Haftar and his allies.