North African countries mull 'curtailing Turkey’s influence in region'

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi (L) shakes hands with Abbas Kamel, the head of General Intelligence Directorate in Cairo, Egypt on 28 June 2018 [Egyptian President Office/Apaimages]

Egyptian intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, yesterday kicked off a tour around the Arab North African countries, including the eastern region in Libya, led by the rebel general Khalifa Haftar, to discuss “limiting the Turkish role in the region.”

Local sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Kamel’s tour was aiming at discussing “intelligence cooperation among North African government” and ways “to confront terrorism in the region.”

Relations with Turkey have strained recently after Ankara has said it would establish a military base to support the Tripoli-based UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez Al-Sarraj.

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On 7 November, Ankara and the GNA reached two separate memorandums of understanding (MoU), one on military cooperation and the other on maritime boundaries of countries in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Since last April, GNA has been fighting against the Haftar-led eastern-based commander army.

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