Libya and Turkey agreed on Saturday to open an urgent joint investigation into a shipment of arms which arrived from Turkey and was seized at Khoms port, near Tripoli earlier this week.
Head of the UN-backed government, Fayez al-Sarraj, told Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who arrived in Tripoli for a surprise visit, his country’s deepest concern about this shipment, stressing the need to “uncover the truth in the matter.”
A statement by Sarraj's office stated that Cavusoglu denied Ankara's involvement in the shipment, asserting that it rejects such actions, "which do not represent the policy or approach of the Turkish state."
"We are going to take firm measures on this subject," he said during a press conference in Tripoli on Saturday.
"We are starting an investigation to determine how the arms were loaded into containers and how they entered Libya."
The statement also indicated that the meeting dealt with recent developments, particularly the economic cooperation between the two countries.
Sarraj stressed the importance of the return of Turkish companies to the Libyan market, which could help revive the economy.
The Turkish minister emphasized his country’s support to political process without foreign interference and continued dialogue with all parties without exception.
“We stand with the Libyan people unconditionally,” he said in a tweet.
Cavusoglu also stressed during his meeting with counterpart Mohammed Tahir Siyala, Turkey’s support to efforts to reach a political settlement in the North African country through the UN and the Libyan people.
He also met with the Head of High Council of State Khalid Al-Mishri to discuss the detention of the ship that was delivering the weapons. The Attorney General in Libya has started investigating the nature and sources of this shipment and the importer, said preliminary reports.
Mishri noted that his country needs Turkey’s cooperation to reveal those behind the violations.
Cavusoglu also informed Mishri that his country is considering easing visa requirements on Libyans and is also mulling scrapping them fully. He also talked about speeding up the return of the Turkish firms to work in Libya in different fields, such as energy and reconstruction projects.
Meanwhile, the European Council announced it has extended the mandate of the EUNAVFOR MED Operation Sophia until March 31, 2019.
The Council stated in a statement that the operation's core mandate is to contribute to the EU's work to disrupt the business model of migrant smugglers and human traffickers in the Southern Central Mediterranean.
“The operation has also supporting tasks. It trains the Libyan Coastguard and Navy and monitors the long-term efficiency of the training and it contributes to the implementation of the UN arms embargo on the high seas off the coast of Libya.”
In addition, the operation conducts surveillance activities and gathers information on illegal trafficking of oil exports from Libya, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.
EUNAVFOR MED Operation Sophia was launched on June 22, 2015.
In other news, Chairman of the National Oil Corporation (NOC), Mustafa Sanalla, met with Dutch Ambassador to Libya, Lars Tummers, at company's headquarters to discuss enhanced cooperation between NOC and Dutch energy firms.
Sanalla welcomed the prospect of Dutch companies returning to Libya and their potential impact on Libyan oil sector development.
“We are seeking to expand our cooperation with Dutch energy companies, renowned for their long-standing expertise in the oil and gas industry, particularly in the fields of exploration and development.”
The meeting also discussed the situation at the Sharara and Sanalla underlined the importance of adherence to the rule of law and improved operational security, pointing out that NOC’s top priority is the safety of its staff.
Sanalla reaffirmed his condemnation of illegal attempts by the armed group occupying the field to blackmail the government and intimidate NOC workers.
