Opposition Parties Reject Any Turkish Activity in Tunisia

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meets with Tunisia's President Kais Saied in Tunis, Tunisia, December 25, 2019. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meets with Tunisia's President Kais Saied in Tunis, Tunisia, December 25, 2019. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS
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Opposition Parties Reject Any Turkish Activity in Tunisia

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meets with Tunisia's President Kais Saied in Tunis, Tunisia, December 25, 2019. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meets with Tunisia's President Kais Saied in Tunis, Tunisia, December 25, 2019. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS

Six opposition parties announced their absolute rejection of any Turkish activity on Tunisian soil, urging authorities to avoid their vague approach towards Turkish actions in Tunisia that are aimed at supporting militias and terrorists.

The parties also demanded on authorities to take “a clear stance that rejects foreign military presence in the region.”

The leftist Workers’ Party, the Popular Front, the Socialist Party, Baath Movement, as well as the Tunisia Forward and al-Qutb party denounced any attempt “to involve Tunisia in the regional hubs' game at the expense of its national security as well as the Libyan people’s security and stability.”

Head of the Workers’ Party Hamma Hammami called on the President, Kais Saied, to take a clear stance on Turkey's military efforts in the region that pose major threat to regional peace and security.

He stressed that: “Turkey is indirectly participating by sending mercenaries from Syria to Libya and directly by providing aid to one of the parties to the conflict.”

Head of the opposition Project of Tunisia Movement Mohsen Marzouk, for his part, considered the presidency’s approval on the landing of a Turkish plane at one of Tunis's airports “a deviation in Tunisia’s position, which was supposed to be neutral in the Libyan conflict.”

He noted that the plane was loaded with medical equipment destined for a specific party in the Libyan internal conflict.

Marzouk said the presidency’s decision may raise doubts that Tunisia is involved in a specific international hub led by Turkey, which has been militarily involved in the Libyan conflict, “without any noticeable humanitarian action there.”

Turkey has been using Libyan sea and airports for a while now to transport weapons and terrorist elements to fight in Libya.



UNRWA Says Determined to Keep Working in Gaza Despite Israeli Ban

Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, attends a meeting of the Global Alliance for the implementation of the two-state solution, at Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway, January 15, 2025. Heiko Junge/NTB/via REUTERS
Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, attends a meeting of the Global Alliance for the implementation of the two-state solution, at Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway, January 15, 2025. Heiko Junge/NTB/via REUTERS
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UNRWA Says Determined to Keep Working in Gaza Despite Israeli Ban

Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, attends a meeting of the Global Alliance for the implementation of the two-state solution, at Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway, January 15, 2025. Heiko Junge/NTB/via REUTERS
Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, attends a meeting of the Global Alliance for the implementation of the two-state solution, at Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway, January 15, 2025. Heiko Junge/NTB/via REUTERS

The head of the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees said Friday it is determined to keep working in Gaza and the occupied West Bank after an Israeli ban on its operations takes effect Jan. 30.

Philippe Lazzarini told reporters that shutting down the agency known as UNRWA would “massively weaken the international humanitarian response” in Gaza.

That’s because UNRWA is the only body capable of providing essential health care and education in Gaza, he said, which will be especially needed once the ceasefire takes effect.

Israel alleges Hamas and other militants in Gaza have infiltrated UNRWA, using its facilities and taking aid — claims for which it has provided little evidence.

Established in 1949, UNRWA offers support to the 6 million Palestinian refugees and their descendants around the Mideast.

Right now, nearly all of the 2 million Palestinians in Gaza rely on the agency for primary health care, and its 650,000 children depend on UNRWA for education. Lazzarini said ending UNRWA’s operations would be “catastrophic.”