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Turkish Defense Minister: Our Intervention in Libya Changed the Balance

Members of Libya's internationally recognized government flash victory signs after taking control of Al-Watiya airbase, southwest of Tripoli, Libya May 18, 2020. Reuters/Hazem Ahmed
Members of Libya's internationally recognized government flash victory signs after taking control of Al-Watiya airbase, southwest of Tripoli, Libya May 18, 2020. Reuters/Hazem Ahmed
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Turkish Defense Minister: Our Intervention in Libya Changed the Balance

Members of Libya's internationally recognized government flash victory signs after taking control of Al-Watiya airbase, southwest of Tripoli, Libya May 18, 2020. Reuters/Hazem Ahmed
Members of Libya's internationally recognized government flash victory signs after taking control of Al-Watiya airbase, southwest of Tripoli, Libya May 18, 2020. Reuters/Hazem Ahmed

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Wednesday that as a result of Turkish intervention in Libya "the balance in Libya changed significantly" in favor of Fayez al-Sarraj Government of National Accord.

The recent developments in Libya resulted from Turkish training and advice, according to Hulusi, knowing that the GNA forces announced regaining control of Al-Watiya airbase, in the west of the country.

In the previous period, Turkey supported Sarraj's government and its militias against the Libyan National Army. It also conducted an aerial and maritime campaign to transport arms, including anti-missile defense and qualitative weapons, in pursuit to expedite the militias’ seizure of LNA regions in the west of Libya.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan admitted, earlier, transferring armed men from pro-Ankara Syrian factions to Libya.

The Syrian Observatory reported that Turkey has recruited nearly 10,000 militants to fight in Tripoli. Also, six Turkish military cargo aircraft traveled from Turkey to South Africa with a small amount of medical supplies on board.

In the same context, Libya's Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha noted that Turkey exerted efforts to support the government. His statement was made following a meeting with Turkey's Ambassador to Tripoli Serhat Aksen Tuesday. They discussed field updates in the west of Libya.

Also, theTurkish Defense Ministry announced conducting a joint Turkish-Italian maritime maneuver in Eastern Mediterranean last Sunday. The exercise coincided with the updates at Al-Watiya airbase.

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Kabbashi: Sudan War Nearing End, Arms Proliferation Poses Major Threat

Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)
Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)
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Kabbashi: Sudan War Nearing End, Arms Proliferation Poses Major Threat

Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)
Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)

The war in Sudan is nearing its end, a top military official said on Saturday, warning that the widespread availability of weapons could pose one of the biggest threats to the country’s stability in the post-war period.
Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, told state governors in the temporary capital of Port Sudan that arms proliferation is a “major danger awaiting the state.”
“The areas that have been retaken must be handed over to the police for administration,” Kabbashi said, stressing that civilian policing, not military control, should take over in recaptured territories.
He also pointed to the need to redeploy troops currently stationed at checkpoints and security outposts in liberated regions. “We need these forces on other frontlines,” he said.
Kabbashi described the rise in hate speech triggered by the conflict as “unacceptable” and warned that Sudan would face deep social challenges once the fighting stops.
According to Kabbashi, the Sudanese armed forces are in a strong position after initial setbacks at the start of the war, as the military seeks to shift focus to restoring internal security and supporting civil governance in liberated areas.
“The situation of the armed forces and supporting units is more than good,” said Kabbashi. “We were in a bad place at the beginning of the war — now we are more than fine.”
Kabbashi added that army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is highly focused on ensuring public safety across the country, calling security “a top priority, ahead of all other services.”
He warned, however, that Sudan faces deeper challenges beyond the battlefield. “The plot against Sudan is bigger than the militia we’re fighting — they are only the front,” Kabbashi said, referring to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) without naming them directly.
He pointed to rising crime, widespread weapons, and looting as major security threats that emerged during the war, saying state authorities would have a significant role to play in restoring order.
Kabbashi urged state governors to back police forces in their efforts to maintain law and order, emphasizing that police support is “urgently needed” during the current transitional phase.