عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Erdogan Vows Turkey Will Continue Activities in Libya

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (AFP)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (AFP)
TT
TT

Erdogan Vows Turkey Will Continue Activities in Libya

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (AFP)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (AFP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed on Friday that his country will “firmly” maintain its cooperation with the “legitimate” Libyan government.

He said that he had dispatched his defense minister and chief of staff to Tripoli to discuss the ongoing cooperation “with greater coordination” with the Government of National Accord (GNA)

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Erdogan’s ruling AK party accused France of complicity in the mass graves discovered in Libya.

Omer Cilek said that the Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded by Khalifa Haftar, had dug up the graves to cover up for its crimes in Tarhuna.

France, as a supporter of the LNA, was working on covering up the issue by claiming to defend human rights and making baseless accusations against Turkey, he added.

Moreover, he claimed that French President Emmanuel Macron, after finding himself in hot water over his support to the LNA, which has been defeated on the ground, is now attempting to distance himself from Haftar, even warning Russian President Vladimir Putin against backing him.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Israeli Settlers Set Fire to Mosque in West Bank in Latest Violent Attack on Palestinian Villages

Palestinians inspect the damage done to a mosque, after a reported attack by Israeli settlers, in the town of Marda near the West Bank city of Salfit on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Palestinians inspect the damage done to a mosque, after a reported attack by Israeli settlers, in the town of Marda near the West Bank city of Salfit on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
TT
TT

Israeli Settlers Set Fire to Mosque in West Bank in Latest Violent Attack on Palestinian Villages

Palestinians inspect the damage done to a mosque, after a reported attack by Israeli settlers, in the town of Marda near the West Bank city of Salfit on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Palestinians inspect the damage done to a mosque, after a reported attack by Israeli settlers, in the town of Marda near the West Bank city of Salfit on December 20, 2024. (AFP)

Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque and vandalized property in the northern occupied West Bank on Friday, the head of the Palestinian village council said, as Israeli police pledged to investigate the episode.

The West Bank has seen a surge in violence by Jewish settlers during the war in Gaza, and rights groups say the Israeli army often turns a blind eye.

Nasfat al-Khafash, the head of the council in Marda where the attack occurred, said a group of settlers arrived early in the morning, setting the mosque on fire and scrawling hateful messages on it.

Associated Press video showed spray-painted stars of David and the words in Hebrew, “the mosque will burn, the temple will be built,” an apparent reference to the ultranationalist desire to establish a Third Temple for Jews in Jerusalem at the holiest and most contested site in the Holy Land.

“These slogans reflect their upbringing and hatred towards Palestinians and Arabs,” said al-Khafash, adding that the settlers received “full support” from the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — the furthest-right government in Israel’s history.

Israel’s police, military and Shin Bet internal security agency said they were investigating the episode. “We view the incident seriously and will act with determination to bring those responsible to justice,” they said in a statement.

The UN’s humanitarian office said settler attacks on Palestinian farmers during this fall's olive harvest season “at least tripled” in 2024 compared to the each of the last three years.

In the West Bank and east Jerusalem, more than 700,000 Jewish settlers have Israeli citizenship, while the 3 million Palestinians in the territory live under Israeli military law.