Erdogan uses Sami al-Saadi as terrorism coordinator in Libya
Turkish President Recep Erdogan has
been interfering in Libya’s internal affairs through his arms and mercenaries
in Tripoli. Erdogan has also terrorist affiliates in Libya, i.e. terrorist
groups, research centers funded by Ankara and Libya’s Dar Iftaa, as well as its
research centers, which are linked to the pro-Muslim Brotherhood government in
Tripoli.
Sami al-Saadi is one of the leading
terrorists linked to Turkey. Al-Saadi emerged to the limelight after February
11, 2011. Al-Saadi, who linked to al-Qaeda, was the head of so-called Libyan Council
for Research and Studies.
Al-Saadi was an official of the
Libyan fighting group, which designated as terrorist by the Muammar Gaddafi
regime. Al-Saadi and his friend, Abdel Hakim Belhaj, were linked to al-Qaeda
and the Taliban Movement in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Al-Saadi lived for some time in
Afghanistan. He was arrested in 2001 by the Libyan authorities and jailed for 7
years. He got political asylum in Britain after he was released. He emerged
once again in 2011.
Al-Saadi has strong ties with
Turkey, and he is a direct liaison between Ankara and the Libyan Dar al-Iftaa,
which affiliated with the pro-Muslim Brotherhood government in Tripoli. He
takes part in all Libyan events organized in Turkey.
In October 2017, al-Saadi took part
in a workshop on the Libyan-Turkish relations on behalf of the Libyan Center
for Research and Strategic Studies in Istanbul.
Al-Saadi said that Turkey plays a
key role in the region, citing that Ankara can offer a lot due to its international
relations and experiences. He reached
twinning agreements between Libyan and Turkish municipalities.
n March 2018, the Syrian Observatory
revealed al-Saadi’s ties with terrorist groups in Misrata, Derna, and Benghazi.
The Observatory leaked recordings, which
exposed al-Saadi’s contacts with the Libyan Dar al-Iftaa, the pro-Muslim
Brotherhood government, which is linked to ISIS.
The recordings revealed that
al-Saadi had visited Misrata in July 2016 and met a number of takfiri leaders.