By RFIPosted on 26-12-2019Changed on 26-12-2019 at 22:38

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's surprise visit to Tunis on Wednesday - focused on the crisis in Libya - has caused dismay on the part of several political parties and civil society actors.

Many Tunisians fear that Tunisia, usually an impartial country, will cross a line in the Libyan crisis by taking a stand for one of the belligerents. The multiplying declarations have forced the Tunisian presidency to make clarifications. And in Tunis it's cacophony.

Rachida el-Nifer, the spokeswoman for the Tunisian presidency denied on Thursday December 26 what the Turkish president had said upon his return to Ankara . She said the Tunisian president did not take a stand for one side or the other in Libya. A way of denying the words of his Turkish counterpart, according to which Kaïs Saïed would support the government of Libyan National Union led by Fayez el-Sarraj.

The Tunisian presidency was also surprised by the statements of Fathi Bashagha, Libyan Minister of the Interior. During a press conference given in Tunis on Thursday, this Libyan official assured that Tunisia is now part of a coalition which includes Tripoli, Algiers and Ankara and which supports Fayez el-Sarraj against Marshal Khalifa Haftar and his allies . " We have a neutral position in the Libyan crisis and we are not part of any coalition, " further insisted the Tunisian presidency, which asked the Libyan minister to leave Tunis immediately.

These clarifications follow an outcry of reactions in Tunis calling on the presidency to adopt neutrality with regard to the Libyan crisis. “ The presidency is confused and badly advised. She is not familiar with the Libyan case , "says Nizar Anami, a former member of parliament and former UGTT. Some fear the use of Tunisia to smuggle weapons into Libya as was the case in 2011.

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