The Libyan parliament annulled on Saturday the security and maritime agreements reached between Turkey and the Government of National Accord (GNA).
The legislature had met for an extraordinary session in the eastern city of Benghazi to address the repercussions of the Turkish parliament’s authorization Thursday to deploy troops to Libya to support the GNA against an offensive by the Libyan National Army, commanded by Khalifa Haftar.
Libyan parliament spokesman Abdullah Bleihaq said the lawmakers had unanimously agreed to annul the deals with Ankara.
Ankara says the deployment is vital for Turkey to safeguard its interests in Libya and in the eastern Mediterranean, where it finds itself increasingly isolated as Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and Israel have established exclusive economic zones paving the way for oil and gas exploration.
Ankara and the GNA signed into law in December a maritime agreement that could give Turkey access to a contested economic zone across the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
On Friday, African Union chief Moussa Faki Mahamat expressed his grave concern over potential "interference" in Libya.
Faki said in a statement he was "deeply concerned at the deterioration of the situation in Libya and the continuing suffering of the Libyan people."
"The various threats of political and military interference in the internal affairs of the country increase the risk of a confrontation, whose motives have nothing to do with the fundamental interests of the Libyan people and their aspirations for freedom, peace, democracy and development," read the statement.
Faki urged the international community to join forces with Africa in seeking a peaceful resolution of the crisis, warning it had "dangerous consequences" for continent as a whole.
