Libya: conflict between Turkey and Egypt grows
In Summary
The decision was made in compliance with the national Constitution by a majority of delegates. The same day, the President chaired a meeting of the National Defense Council of Egypt involving the head of government, security ministers, the President of Parliament and armed forces commanders.
On July 20, 2020, the Egyptian Parliament gave its consent to President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi for the deployment of armed forces outside the state border “to fight criminal militias and foreign terrorists in the strategic western direction”.
The decision was made in compliance with the national Constitution by a majority of delegates. The same day, the President chaired a meeting of the National Defense Council of Egypt involving the head of government, security ministers, the President of Parliament and armed forces commanders. Those engaged got acquainted with the situation in and around Libya and discussed decisions by the military and political leadership as regards ensuring safety of the country’s Western borders.
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi informed the Council members about the outcome of his July 19 telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump, who agreed with the Egyptian leader in assessing the situation in Libya and advocated the priority use of peaceful means to reduce tension in this country. The head of the White House made his Egyptian counterpart aware of his telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, who adamantly opposed to Turkey’s interference in the internal affairs of Libya.
In turn, the Turkish leadership is vibrantly preparing for an eastward offensive by units of Fayez al-Sarraj’s Libyan Government of National Accord. According to head of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Rami Abdul Rahman, the Turks are actively making use of the al-Watiya air base to deliver weapons and ammunition. Over the last few days, military transport aircraft from the Turkish Gaziantep air base have brought multiple rocket launchers that are already deployed several dozen kilometers to the west and south of Sirte.
The GNA military leadership keeps concentrating detachments of Libyan fighters and foreign mercenaries around Sirte and the al-Jufra air base, bringing artillery, armored vehicles and other weapons there.
On July 19, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar held talks in Ankara with Libyan Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha, who is also acting GNA Defense Minister. The parties clarified their plans for the upcoming military operation in eastern Libya.
Source: Libya: conflict between Turkey and Egypt grows – The Citizen