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Turkey’s FM: French President Is Destroying Libya

Turkey’s FM: French President Is Destroying Libya
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Turkey’s FM: French President Is Destroying Libya

Turkey’s FM: French President Is Destroying Libya

Turkey slammed France for following a destructive approach in Libya and accused Paris of seeking to increase the Russian presence on the country.

"Even though we [Turkey] appear to be on opposite sides with Russia, we are working not to worsen the situation, but to achieve a ceasefire," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a news conference.

Cavusoglu was responding to an earlier statement of French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday accusing Turkey of "criminal responsibility" over its involvement in the Libyan conflict.

Macron said Turkey was "massively" transferring terrorist mercenaries from Syria to Libya.

The Turkish FM indicated that Macron is aware his attack on Turkey will not benefit his domestic policy, hoping the French president learned a lesson that it will not help him.

“France, which Macron governs or rather which he can't manage to govern at the moment, has been in Libya only for its own interests and ambitions with a destructive approach,” warned Cavusoglu.

“NATO sees Russia as a threat on the hand, but NATO ally France is trying to increase Russia’s presence in Libya on the other,” added Cavusoglu.

This is the first time that the head of Turkish diplomacy referred to the Russian presence as a "threat", which reflects the deep-rooted differences between Ankara and Moscow.

The disparities between both countries were also apparent when Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu canceled their visit to Turkey scheduled for June 14 to discuss Libyan issues.

Turkey and Russia coordinate in Syria despite their disagreement on Ankara’s support for armed opposition factions, and Moscow’s support for Bashar al-Assad as the 'legitimate president' of Syria.

However, both countries haven’t been able to reach a similar settlement in Libya, where Russia supports the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, and Turkey supports the Government of National Accord (GNA), chaired by Fayez al-Sarraj.

Even though France has not announced a clear position on LNA, Turkey continues to slam it.

Despite NATO's position towards Russia, Turkey concluded a deal with Moscow on the S-400 missiles, which angered both the US and NATO.

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Iraqi PM Suspends Popular Mobilization Forces Retirement Law

Al-Sudani alongside PMF Chairman Faleh Al-Fayyadh and Chief of Staff “Abu Fadak” (Archive - Government Media)
Al-Sudani alongside PMF Chairman Faleh Al-Fayyadh and Chief of Staff “Abu Fadak” (Archive - Government Media)
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Iraqi PM Suspends Popular Mobilization Forces Retirement Law

Al-Sudani alongside PMF Chairman Faleh Al-Fayyadh and Chief of Staff “Abu Fadak” (Archive - Government Media)
Al-Sudani alongside PMF Chairman Faleh Al-Fayyadh and Chief of Staff “Abu Fadak” (Archive - Government Media)

The Iraqi government has withdrawn the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Retirement Law from Parliament, pending amendments to reduce the number of PMF members and leaders set for retirement. Reports suggest that political factions are attempting to pass the law alongside the Accountability and Justice Law as part of a broader legislative deal.
A government source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani instructed the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers to withdraw the PMF Service and Retirement Law to prevent legislative deadlock, as disputes over the bill had stalled parliamentary sessions for weeks.
Parliament was scheduled to meet on Tuesday afternoon, following a failed session on Saturday due to the lack of quorum. Shiite factions, particularly within the Coordination Framework, had insisted on including the PMF Retirement Law on the session’s agenda, delaying progress on other legislation.

The key point of contention within the Coordination Framework remains the retirement age stipulated in the bill. Reports indicate that the current provisions could force PMF Chairman Faleh Al-Fayyadh to step down. Al-Fayyadh has led the PMF since 2015, after being appointed by former Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi following the rise of ISIS in 2014.
The PMF, formed in 2014 in response to a religious decree by top Shiite religious authority Ali Al-Sistani, played a crucial role in the fight against ISIS. However, ongoing political discussions suggest efforts to restructure the force, particularly amid US pressure and the possibility of financial sanctions targeting individuals and groups within the organization.
While it remains unclear if the government’s move is directly linked to international pressures, the suspension coincides with Sunni factions pushing to pass the Accountability and Justice Law.
Parliamentary sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Sunni parties are seeking to dismantle or significantly limit the powers of the Accountability and Justice Commission—which oversees De-Baathification policies—in exchange for supporting the PMF Retirement Law.
Established in 2005, the Accountability and Justice Commission led to the dismissal of thousands of former Baath Party members from government positions and the confiscation of their properties. Sunni parties argue that the law has been politically exploited to disqualify their candidates from elections.
Despite ongoing negotiations, lawmakers doubt that Parliament will reconvene during Ramadan, as disagreements over the PMF Retirement Law and the Accountability and Justice Law remain unresolved.