Libya’s Mishri: ‘We agreed with Turkey to repel illegal forces’ aggression’

Head of the High Council of State, Khalid Al-Mishri, said on Monday that his country has concluded a direct agreement with Turkey to repel the aggression launched by illegal forces, in reference to the militia of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

After holding talks with the Moroccan Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita, in the capital Rabat, Al-Mishri added in a joint press conference that “the agreement [on military cooperation] with Turkey [signed in November 2019] is for a renewable year, controlled by the Libyan side.

He continued: “The Government of National Accord requested the help of Turkish forces after it found that between six to ten countries support Haftar, and we do not have the ability to defend our legitimacy in the face of all these countries.”

The Moroccan foreign minister said: “The High Council of State and the Tobruk parliament has the potential to agree on a solution, taking into account recent Libyan initiatives.”

In December 2015, the two parties to the Libyan conflict signed a political agreement in the Moroccan city of Skhirat, which resulted in the formation of a presidential council leading the Government of National Accord (GNA), in addition to extending the parliament’s mandate and establishing the High Council of State. However, Haftar sought for years to block and suspend the agreement.

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