Emmanuel Macron denounces the “dangerous game” of Turkey in Libya

Emmanuel Macron during his joint press conference with Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed on June 22 at the Elysée Palace. Christophe Petit Tesson / Pool via REUTERS

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During a press conference with his Tunisian counterpart Kaïs Saïed, French President Emmanuel Macron denounced this Monday the "dangerous game" of Turkey in Libya, seeing it as a direct threat to the region and to Europe.

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For Emmanuel Macron, Turkey today plays in Libya "  a dangerous game  " and contravenes "  all of its commitments made at the Berlin conference  ". The French head of state said he made "  the same speech  " during a telephone interview Monday afternoon with US President Donald Trump. It is in the interest of Libya, its neighbors, the whole region but also Europe,  " he added.

During his joint press conference with his Tunisian counterpart Kaïs Saïed, Emmanuel Macron also called for "  an end to foreign interference and the unilateral acts of those who claim to gain new positions in favor of the war  " in Libya.

Turkey has become the main international supporter of the government of national unity (GNA) in Tripoli, which in early June regained control of the whole of northwest Libya by reducing the forces of Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the strong man from the east of the country. GNA forces are now targeting the coastal city of Sirte (450 km east of Tripoli), a strategic lock to the east controlled by Marshal Haftar.

On Saturday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, the marshal's main supporter with the United Arab Emirates, warned that any advance by pro-GNA towards Sirte could lead to "direct" intervention from Cairo . The GNA, recognized by the United Nations, denounced  the threats of Egypt as a "  declaration of war ".

The tone continues to rise between Paris and Ankara, France accusing Turkey of supplying arms to the GNA in violation of a United Nations embargo and of having engaged in " extremely aggressive  " behavior  against one of its frigates in the Mediterranean on June 10. Turkey, for its part, accuses Paris of supporting Marshal Haftar and of being the "  subcontractor for certain countries of the region  " in the Libyan crisis, an allusion to the Emirates and Egypt.

France and Tunisia together demand that the belligerents put an end to the fire and keep their commitment to resume negotiations initiated within the framework of the United Nations with a view to restoring security for all, to reunite Libyan institutions and to engage reconstruction for the benefit of all Libyans,  "added Emmanuel Macron to the press alongside Kaïs Saïed, whose it was the second official visit abroad, after Algeria, since his election in October.

Returning to the recent naval incidents in the Mediterranean Sea which have opposed France and Turkey, the French president considered that they were the "  demonstration  " of the "  brain death  " of NATO, of which the two countries are members. As long as we continue, NATO members, Europeans, stakeholders in this subject, to be weak in our words or to lack clarity, we will let the game of non-cooperative powers play,  " said Emmanuel Macron. I do not want in six months, a year, two years, to have to see that Libya is in the situation of Syria today  ".

( With AFP)

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