Libya’s presidential council calls for Turkey to withdraw mercenaries from Libya

The head of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohammed al-Menfi, has issued a formal request for Turkey to withdraw Syrian mercenaries and Turkish military experts from Syria over the next 10 days, the Libya Review reported on Monday.
The
request arrived as al-Menfi and his deputy Abdullah al-Lafi held talks with
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul on Friday in the Libyan
Presidential Council head’sfirst visit to Turkey since assuming office earlier
this month.
In
Libya, Turkey is the main backer of the internationally recognised Government
of National Accord (GNA) against Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA),
which is supported by Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Turkey
deployed military forces to Libya in January last year after the GNA requested
assistance under a defence pact. Ankara has also provided Syrian mercenaries to
prop up the GNA.
During
Friday’s meeting, Erdoğan expressed his support for Libya’s new Government of
National Unity (GNU), in its goal of achieving stability in the war-torn
country, the Libya Review said.
Al-Menfi
is set to run the country until elections are held in December.
Turkey
and the Tripoli-based GNA signed in November 2019 a military cooperation deal
and a maritime accord, which has been heavily criticised by Greece, Cyprus and
Egypt.
Meanwhile,
a EU mission to the oil-rich North African country has called for the withdrawal
of foreign mercenaries.
The
foreign ministers of Italy, France, and Germany have conducted a mission in a
show of support for the GNU, Italian ANSA news agency reported on Monday.
The
ministers said the "withdrawal of foreign mercenaries and militias present
in the country," was a decisive step that should be taken, which is
"essential for the Libyan state to assert its sovereignty.’’