Turkey threatens to consider Haftar's forces "legitimate targets" if their interests in Libya are threatened

The dialectical war between Turkey and the Libyan National Army has no limits. A new episode of this conflict has occurred in recent hours after the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday that Turkey is prepared to consider forces loyal to Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar as "legitimate targets" if they continue to carry out attacks against "their interests and diplomatic missions" in Libya. The forces of the Libyan National Army (LNA) - which already had control of the eastern regions of the country - launched an offensive in April 2019 to take control of the capital, the fiefdom of Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, who signed a military cooperation agreement with Turkey to deal with Haftar's militias. 

The North African nation has been divided since 2014 between the areas controlled by the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) and the territory controlled by the authorities in the east. The Libyan National Army is supported by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia, while Sarraj is backed by Turkey and Qatar.  Over the past few weeks, clashes between mercenaries and militias loyal to the GNA have been a constant, increasing tension on the front lines. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported last week that "the number of recruits who have arrived on Libyan soil so far has reached 7,850".
 

In a statement issued Sunday by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, the Eurasian nation defines Haftar's forces as "coup-makers".  Faced with this situation, it has shown its clear determination to attack the LNA militias if they continue with their aggressions against its "missions and interests" in Libya. In the same statement, Turkey has also criticized the United Nations for not taking a position on the Libyan conflict and taking "measures against Haftar's attacks". "It is unacceptable that the United Nations remains silent against this massacre. The countries that provide military, financial and political aid to Haftar are responsible for the suffering that the people of Libya are suffering and the chaos and instability that the country is being dragged into," they warned in a statement to which the Reuters news agency had access. 

The statement drafted by the Turkish Foreign Ministry also considers the attacks that took place against Mitiga airport in Tripoli in the early hours of last Saturday morning as "war crimes". This airport -- the only one in operation in the country's capital -- has been attacked several times as part of the offensive led by Haftar to take control of Tripoli. The instability in this area is also of concern to the Turkish and Italian embassies, which in the past week have expressed concern about the bombings that have taken place around their headquarters. A spokesman for the Libyan National Army has said that he had nothing to do with this attack on the embassies. 
 

However, Libyan lawyer and human rights advocate Muhammed Salih Gabriel al-Lafi believes this threat by Turkey "is a violation of all international rules and laws," he told the Al Ain News newspaper. Al-Lafi stressed that "the international community is fully aware of Turkey's plans to control the capacities of the Libyan people and to violate the sovereignty over their land". For his part, Brigadier General Sharaf al-Din al-Alwani told the same newspaper that "the war in Libya has passed the stage of threats and war of speeches and declarations". In his opinion, this statement "could be a prelude to the use of modern Turkish air force".  However, Al-Alwani believes that these statements "will not change the nature of the battle," but are symbolic of Turkey's intention to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to increase its influence in the region. 

The president of Turkey - who has been criticised for "benefiting" from the coronavirus crisis to increase his influence in Africa - has indicated that the LNA is in "a period of regression" after the country he leads, a NATO member, decided to support the National Accord Government.  "Even the efforts of the countries providing unlimited financial support and weapons to Haftar will not be able to save it," he stressed, according to information reported by the Reuters news agency. Despite the cessation of hostilities agreed by both warring parties in the conflict to address the COVID-19 pandemic, attacks have intensified in the country.

This threat comes after several international organisations have criticised the Turkish leader for exercising his influence in Africa and "spreading chaos and terrorism in the region" by sending "false humanitarian aid", the daily Al Ain News reported.  The controversy broke out after a Turkish military plane landed at Djerba airport in southern Tunisia. The shipment was received by the adviser to the country's health minister, Hussein al-Ezzi, who explained that the aid was destined for Tunisia and Libya. However, the Tunisian presidency issued a statement confirming that the aid was intended solely for Libya. 
 

In the meantime, warlike attacks continue to occur in the North African nation. On Sunday, a bombardment hit the country's capital. At the same time, the main water supplier in north-western Libya reported that a group of armed men had attacked its facilities. An LNA spokesman and several Tripoli residents agree that the bombing was the "worst" since the attacks began, Reuters said. 

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) issued a statement last Friday condemning the increase in attacks on some areas of Tripoli. "UNSMIL is deeply alarmed by the intensification of indiscriminate attacks at a time when Libyans deserve to live peacefully the holy month of Ramadan and are struggling with the VIDOC-19 pandemic. These despicable actions are a direct challenge to the calls of some Libyan leaders for an end to the prolonged fighting and the resumption of political dialogue," they said in an official statement. 

UNSMIL has also reported that on 1 May, attacks by the LNA on Abu Salim, Tajoura, al-Hadba al-Badri, Zanata and Zawit al-Dahmani caused many civilian casualties and damage to homes and other civilian property. Since then, at least 15 civilians have been killed and more than 50 injured as a result of these attacks, according to this information. "These attacks show a flagrant disregard for international humanitarian law and human rights law and may constitute war crimes," they said. "All parties to the conflict must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. UNSMIL reiterates that those guilty of crimes under international law must be held accountable," they concluded.