NATO squabbling over Libya continues, as France accuses Turkey of ‘hostile and aggressive’ acts in blocking UN arms embargo

17 Jun, 2020 19:43 / Updated 4 years ago

France and Turkey are at loggerheads over Libya. After a confrontation between their navies off the coast of the country, France is now calling Ankara’s “hostile and unacceptable” behavior an obstacle to peace.

Though it was a NATO bombing campaign that reduced Libya – once an oil-rich and prosperous nation – to rubble and civil war, the alliance is split on how to rebuild the shattered country. Turkey backs the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, while France claims to be a neutral party in the GNA’s war against the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA).

French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Agnes von der Muhll accused Turkey on Wednesday of hampering peacemaking efforts by helping a flow of weapons to reach the GNA.

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“Turkey’s support for the ongoing offensive of the Government of National Accord goes directly against efforts to secure an immediate truce,” von der Muhll said in a statement. “This support is coupled with hostile and unacceptable behavior by the Turkish maritime forces towards NATO allies, aimed at hampering efforts to implement the United Nations arms embargo.” 

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Earlier, French officials accused a Turkish ship of engaging in threatening behavior, then of hiding its details when queried by a nearby French vessel. The French accused the crew of transporting weapons to Libya – a move that Ankara denied, saying that the French had attempted to search its ship in international waters, which was “not permitted.”

Both sides will have an opportunity to hammer out – or to deepen – their differences later on Wednesday and Thursday, as the alliance’s defense ministers meet via video call. Turkey has also clashed on a NATO defense plan for Poland and the Baltic states, with a group of diplomats telling Reuters that Turkey is refusing to back the plan unless the alliance recognizes Kurdish militias in Syria as terrorist groups.

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