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Turkey on Sunday accused forces close to Marshal Khalifa Haftar of detaining six Turks in Libya, and threatened to take them as " targets " if its nationals were not released. The incident comes two days after Marshal Hafter threatened to attack Turkish interests in the country, accusing Ankara of militarily supporting its rivals of the nationally-recognized unity government recognized by the international community.
With our correspondent in Istanbul, Anne Andlauer
The tension is rising day by day between Ankara and Marshal Khalifa Haftar. In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry accuses the Libyan strongman of " acts of violence and piracy " committed by " illegal militias ".
Ankara demands the immediate release of six nationals who would be in the hands of forces close to the Marshal and threatens, in case of refusal, to consider these forces as " legitimate targets ".
A few hours earlier, it was the Turkish Defense Minister who warned that his country would retaliate against any attack by Haftar's forces. The Libyan marshal had ordered them to target Turkish ships and interests and to arrest Turkish nationals in Libya.
► See also: Marshal Haftar threatens Turkish interests in Libya
Khalifa Haftar accuses Ankara of militarily supporting its rivals of the Government of National Unity (GNA). Ten days ago, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that his country had provided arms to this internationally backed government.
Since 2011, however, the United Nations has imposed on Libya an arms embargo, violated several times in recent years.