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Haftar Rejects Sarraj Proposal for Military, Security Coordination

LNA commander Khalifa Haftar. (AFP)
LNA commander Khalifa Haftar. (AFP)
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Haftar Rejects Sarraj Proposal for Military, Security Coordination

LNA commander Khalifa Haftar. (AFP)
LNA commander Khalifa Haftar. (AFP)

Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) rejected a proposal by Government of National Accord chief Fayez al-Sarraj to establish military and security coordination between them to combat terrorism.

LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari stated that disputes with the GNA still stand due to Sarraj’s insistence on considering himself high commander of the Libyan army.

Haftar refuses to be affiliated to an illegitimate government, he said.

Sarraj had made an indirect proposal for military and security coordination with the LNA during the GNA’s commemoration of the eighth anniversary of Libya’s 2011 popular revolt that toppled the regime of longtime ruler Moammar al-Gaddafi.

The GNA said that it rejects the exploitation of the war on terrorism to advance political agendas.

There can be no military solution to the crisis, it stressed, while confirming its commitment to holding elections in the country.

“The overwhelming majority of the people want to hold elections and all sides must yield to the will of the people,” it declared.

Meanwhile, Mismari said that uniting the military institution in Libya according to Egyptian-sponsored negotiations will fail because of the lack of disciplined military forces that adhere to Tripoli.

The capital is instead controlled by militias, he noted.

Moreover, he stressed that the LNA will continue its mission to liberate the remaining cities of the South from the clutches of terrorist groups and Chadian gangs.

The LNA is seeking to secure Libya’s borders with neighboring countries of Niger, Algeria and Chad, he stated.

Marking the eighth anniversary of the revolt, the US embassy in Libya tweeted: “The United States reaffirms its commitment to stand with all Libyans who are working to achieve a more secure and prosperous future in Libya.”

British Ambassador to Libya Frank Baker tweeted that the Libyan people must unite on the occasion in order to achieve their country’s stability and prosperity.

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Türkiye Denies Direct Talks with SDF, Demands Full Disarmament

Türkiye insists on the dissolution of the SDF, the departure of foreign fighters from Syria, and the integration of remaining members into the new army (Reuters)
Türkiye insists on the dissolution of the SDF, the departure of foreign fighters from Syria, and the integration of remaining members into the new army (Reuters)
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Türkiye Denies Direct Talks with SDF, Demands Full Disarmament

Türkiye insists on the dissolution of the SDF, the departure of foreign fighters from Syria, and the integration of remaining members into the new army (Reuters)
Türkiye insists on the dissolution of the SDF, the departure of foreign fighters from Syria, and the integration of remaining members into the new army (Reuters)

Türkiye has denied holding any direct negotiations with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), asserting that no dialogue is possible unless the group dissolves itself and fully disarms.

Omer Celik, spokesperson and deputy chair of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), firmly rejected recent reports and statements suggesting contacts between Turkish authorities and the SDF.

“No official meetings have taken place,” Celik stated Thursday, following a high-level party meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

His comments came in response to a recent interview with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, who claimed there had been direct contacts and expressed openness to meeting Erdogan. Without naming Abdi directly, Celik dismissed the notion that Türkiye had engaged with the SDF as though it were an independent entity. “It is unacceptable to frame the situation in that way,” he said.

Celik reiterated that any engagement would only be possible if the SDF disbands, lays down its arms, and ends its affiliation with the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), which Ankara considers a terrorist organization. “If they disarm, then a meeting could be possible,” he added.

In recent days, several Western media outlets reported that US-mediated talks had taken place between Türkiye and the SDF. These reports claimed the discussions centered on reducing tensions, dissolving the SDF, and implementing a March agreement with the Syrian government that would see SDF fighters integrated into a new Syrian army and hand over ISIS-linked detainees and camps to Damascus.

While some reports hinted at a potential meeting between Abdi and either Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan or intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Fidan denied such plans. He confirmed that Türkiye is working with both Washington and Damascus to implement the SDF’s military integration.

Celik also acknowledged an agreement between the SDF and the Syrian government that would see the SDF hand over territory to state control. He stated that all PKK elements, especially those from the YPG (the SDF’s leading faction), must leave the country.

Referring to a May 12 PKK statement titled “Dissolution of the PKK and Disarmament,” Celik stressed that Erdogan had made it clear that all PKK-affiliated structures, including the SDF, must be dismantled and disarmed.

“This is not about opposing Kurdish rights,” Celik concluded. “President Erdogan told Assad years ago: Give Kurds their rights like any other citizens. But we will never allow a terrorist state on our southern border.”