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Turkey Prepares to Set Up Base in Misrata

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the 6th Ordinary Convention in Antalya province, Turkey, March 3, 2018. (Presidential handout photo)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the 6th Ordinary Convention in Antalya province, Turkey, March 3, 2018. (Presidential handout photo)
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Turkey Prepares to Set Up Base in Misrata

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the 6th Ordinary Convention in Antalya province, Turkey, March 3, 2018. (Presidential handout photo)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the 6th Ordinary Convention in Antalya province, Turkey, March 3, 2018. (Presidential handout photo)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is conducting talks with the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) for the possible use of the Misrata naval base and Al-Watiya airbase.

Turkish Naval Forces Commander Adm. Adnan Ozbal paid a visit to Libya and met Libyan Army's Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Mohammed Al-Sharif. They discussed the latest developments in Libya and the possibility of using Al-Watiya airbase and in addition to inaugurating a naval base in Misrata.

On November 27, Ankara and GNA signed two separate pacts, one that encompasses military cooperation and the other maritime boundaries of the two countries in the Eastern Mediterranean.

A Turkish business delegation is set to visit Libya within two weeks to assess how Turkey’s companies and banks can help rebuild the war-torn country and secure its energy needs, sources told Reuters.

Politicians could join the upcoming trip by what they called a “committee” of business representatives. They will craft a business plan and initially focus on meeting Libya’s energy needs and re-building and renewing its infrastructure, sources added.

Earlier, a senior Turkish delegation visited the GNA on June 18 to discuss the Libyan updates and the return of Turkish firms in Libya as well as energy and reconstruction projects.

Also, Erdogan expressed support to the "legitimate government" in Libya that is seeking the country’s unity. The president was speaking to the members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) via videoconference.

He added that Turkey will not leave the fate of the Libyan people at the mercy of putschists and will continue to act in line with international law.

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Israel Sees More to Do on Lebanon Ceasefire

FILE PHOTO: A car drives past damaged buildings in Naqoura, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A car drives past damaged buildings in Naqoura, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir/File Photo
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Israel Sees More to Do on Lebanon Ceasefire

FILE PHOTO: A car drives past damaged buildings in Naqoura, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A car drives past damaged buildings in Naqoura, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir/File Photo

Israel said on Thursday the terms of a ceasefire with Hezbollah were not being implemented fast enough and there was more work to do, while the Iran-backed group urged pressure to ensure Israeli troops leave south Lebanon by Monday as set out in the deal.

The deal stipulates that Israeli troops withdraw from south Lebanon, Hezbollah remove fighters and weapons from the area and Lebanese troops deploy there - all within a 60-day timeframe which will conclude on Monday at 4 a.m (0200 GMT).

The deal, brokered by the United States and France, ended more than a year of hostilities triggered by the Gaza war. The fighting peaked with a major Israeli offensive that displaced more than 1.2 million people in Lebanon and left Hezbollah severely weakened.

"There have been positive movements where the Lebanese army and UNIFIL have taken the place of Hezbollah forces, as stipulated in the agreement," Israeli government spokesmen David Mencer told reporters, referring to UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.

"We've also made clear that these movements have not been fast enough, and there is much more work to do," he said, affirming that Israel wanted the agreement to continue.

Mencer did not directly respond to questions about whether Israel had requested an extension of the deal or say whether Israeli forces would remain in Lebanon after Monday's deadline.

Hezbollah said in a statement that there had been leaks talking about Israel postponing its withdrawal beyond the 60-day period, and that any breach of the agreement would be unacceptable.
The statement said that possibility required everyone, especially Lebanese political powers, to pile pressure on the states which sponsored the deal to ensure "the implementation of the full (Israeli) withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the last inch of Lebanese territory and the return of the people to their villages quickly.”

Any delay beyond the 60 days would mark a blatant violation of the deal with which the Lebanese state would have to deal "through all means and methods guaranteed by international charters" to recover Lebanese land "from the occupation's clutches," Hezbollah said.