The Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded by Khalifa Haftar, said it has called on citizens to take up arms against Turkish troops if they deploy to fight against them in the country’s ongoing conflict.
The statement came soon after Turkey’s parliament authorized the deployment of troops to Libya to support the rival Government of National Accord (GNA), based in Tripoli.
In a statement Thursday on Twitter, the LNA said it was the people’s “duty” to fight to protect the homeland.
Haftar launched an operation in April to cleanse Tripoli of criminal and terrorist militias that are loyal to the GNA.
Fighting around Tripoli escalated in recent weeks after Haftar declared a “final” and decisive battle for the capital.
Turkey’s parliamentary approval of a military deployment comes amid increased cooperation between the country and GNA. The recent escalation comes ahead of expected peace talks between the warring parties in Germany early this year.
Ghassan Salame, the UN envoy to Libya, said Turkish troops on the ground would further disrupt chances for future peace, though he still expects the talks in Germany to take place in mid-January. He said interference by regional powers means that Libyans could lose control of their country's fate.
“The direct military involvement of member states in the Libyan conflict is escalating, inflaming, and protracting the conflict,” he said via email.
Turkey’s meddling has also drawn Egypt’s ire, saying it amounted to a "flagrant violation of international law and Security Council resolutions on Libya".
Dmitry Novikov, a Russian lawmaker, said after the parliament vote that a Turkish military presence in Libya would “only deteriorate the situation”, according to the Interfax news agency.
