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.



Will Regional Tensions Stall Palestinian Arms Handover in Lebanon?

A poster in the Shatila Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut shows a Hamas fighter… (AFP) 
A poster in the Shatila Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut shows a Hamas fighter… (AFP) 
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Will Regional Tensions Stall Palestinian Arms Handover in Lebanon?

A poster in the Shatila Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut shows a Hamas fighter… (AFP) 
A poster in the Shatila Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut shows a Hamas fighter… (AFP) 

The escalation of the Israeli-Iranian conflict has disrupted Lebanon’s internal agenda, pausing progress on several sensitive files, including the handover of Palestinian weapons inside refugee camps. The disarmament initiative, which was scheduled to begin this week in Beirut’s camps, has now been delayed amid shifting regional dynamics.

According to official Lebanese sources, Palestinian factions have not yet received any instructions - either from Ramallah or Lebanese security agencies - regarding weapons collection. While this has halted implementation, sources say the file is still active. “The factions requested a grace period before the process begins in Beirut’s camps,” the sources told Asharq Al-Awsat, adding that the plan will instead start in the South.

The phased disarmament will begin in the southern camps under the jurisdiction of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, starting with Al-Buss camp near Tyre, followed by Rashidieh and Al-Burj Al-Shamali. No fixed timeline has been set, and implementation will proceed gradually.

A senior Fatah official, Azzam al-Ahmad, is expected to return to Beirut soon at the head of a security delegation to continue discussions on the framework and logistics of the disarmament plan. Al-Ahmad had visited Lebanon prior to Eid al-Adha to mediate internal Fatah disagreements and met with senior Lebanese security officials during his stay.

Palestinian analyst Hesham Debsi, director of the Tatwir Center for Studies, says the disarmament file has not been shelved. “This is not just a local issue; it’s closely tied to regional developments and international negotiations, particularly the US-Iran nuclear talks,” Debsi said.

He noted that the broader Israeli-Iranian confrontation has forced stakeholders to reconsider the timing of major initiatives, including the Arab-French-international conference previously planned to support the Palestinian state and Lebanese sovereignty.

Debsi emphasized that delays do not signal a reversal in political commitment. A joint statement in May between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun affirmed both parties’ agreement on limiting weapons to the Lebanese state and preventing camps from becoming safe havens for extremist groups.

While preparations are advancing, actual implementation will depend on Lebanon’s political assessment of the right moment to proceed.

Reports of internal dissent within Fatah over the arms file were acknowledged by Debsi but dismissed as resolved. “Some members objected for political or organizational reasons, including feelings of exclusion. Others viewed the decision as hasty,” he said. These concerns, he added, were addressed by the delegation from Ramallah, which also introduced structural reforms in the PLO, the Palestinian embassy, and Fatah’s leadership in Lebanon.

Palestinian armed presence in Lebanon is concentrated across 12 major camps, largely outside state control. Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine dominate these areas. Historically active pro-Syrian factions outside the camps, such as the PFLP-General Command and As-Saiqa, have largely lost their influence, with the Lebanese Army dismantling their remaining bases.