Al-Jazeera correspondent reported that an Egyptian security delegation arrived Sunday morning in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, while Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar inspected his country's forces there, and issued a stern warning to retired Major General Khalifa Haftar.

The correspondent said that an Egyptian delegation including officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the intelligence service arrived in Tripoli, the first of its kind since 2014.

Official sources were quoted as saying that the delegation would meet with senior officials in the Presidential Council, the Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs and the Intelligence Service, and would visit the Egyptian embassy and consulate in Tripoli.

The sources added that the delegation will discuss bilateral relations, air navigation and consular affairs between the two countries.


A legitimate target for


his part, Hulusi Akar inspected his country's forces in Libya, which he arrived on Saturday.

To enhance military cooperation between the two sides.

The Turkish Defense Minister issued a warning to Haftar and his supporters against any attempt to target Turkish forces in Libya.

In a speech to the Turkish forces operating in Libya, Akar responded to Haftar's recent threats against Turkey and its forces, saying, "Let the criminal Haftar and his supporters know that we will consider them a legitimate target in all places after every attempt to attack our forces."

The Turkish minister held talks with Libyan officials during his visit to Tripoli yesterday.

Akar is accompanied by the Turkish Army Chief of Staff, General Yasar Guler.

The Supreme Council of State in Libya said that the Chairman of the Council, Khaled al-Mashri, and the Turkish delegation confirmed the identical visions to resolve the Libyan crisis and the continuation of joint coordination to repel any attempt to move Haftar's forces.

The Turkish minister attended a graduation ceremony for Libyan students who received training in Turkey, within the framework of the cooperation agreement between the two parties.


New blood


The Minister of Defense in the Government of National Accord Salah Al-Nimroush indicated that the two parties signed a memorandum of understanding to rearrange the ranks of the Libyan army and train it.

Al-Nimroush said, "The Turks have offered support to the Government of National Accord, thankfully, and we are seeking to rearrange the Libyan army and inject new blood."

It is noteworthy that Turkish support for the Government of National Accord led to a series of defeats for Haftar's forces, following an attack launched by these forces towards Tripoli in 2019.

But Haftar called on his forces on Friday to take up arms again to expel the "Turkish occupier."

In a speech marking the 69th anniversary of Libya's independence, he said, "Today we remind the world of our firm position that there is no peace in the shadow of the colonialist and his presence on our land."

These statements came despite the succession of a series of talks between representatives of the two sides of the Libyan crisis since a ceasefire was reached last October under the auspices of the United Nations.

It is noteworthy that the Turkish Parliament approved last Tuesday a memorandum to extend the deployment of soldiers in Libya for 18 months.