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Dbeibeh, Menfi to Visit Turkey to Tackle Mercenaries in Libya

African workers seen in Tajura city, Libya. (AFP)
African workers seen in Tajura city, Libya. (AFP)
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Dbeibeh, Menfi to Visit Turkey to Tackle Mercenaries in Libya

African workers seen in Tajura city, Libya. (AFP)
African workers seen in Tajura city, Libya. (AFP)

Turkish intelligence has informed Libya’s new Government of National Unity (GNU) that Ankara will continue to offer training and expertise in line with the agreements struck with its predecessor, the Government of National Accord (GNA), reported local media.

GNA sources, however, informed Ankara that the government will no longer resort to Syrian mercenaries.

The ones already present in Libya will be deported to Turkey, said a government source.

Head of the GNU Abdulhamid Dbeibeh and new head of the Presidential Council Mohammed al-Menfi are set to soon visit Turkey to review agreements signed between Tripoli and Ankara, as well as the fate of mercenaries aligned with the GNA.

Dbeibeh and Menfi had both received on Saturday telephone calls from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

He said that the sovereignty, independence and unity of “sisterly Libya” were fundamental for Turkey. He vowed that Ankara will continue to provide all forms of necessary support to Libya, stressing the need to bolster and expand cooperation.

Separately, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio paid a visit to Tripoli on Sunday, the first by a European official since the formation of the GNU.

During his surprise visit, he held talks with Dbeibeh, Menfi and his counterpart Najla el-Mangoush.

He underlined Rome’s support for Libya in all fields and its efforts to unify its sovereign state institutions.

Menfi’s office revealed that Italy has started to increase its diplomatic representation in Libya.

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Kurdistan Salary Crisis Clouds Eid Celebrations in Baghdad

Leader of the Hikma Movement Ammar al-Hakim delivers his Eid speech to supporters in Baghdad (Hikma Media)
Leader of the Hikma Movement Ammar al-Hakim delivers his Eid speech to supporters in Baghdad (Hikma Media)
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Kurdistan Salary Crisis Clouds Eid Celebrations in Baghdad

Leader of the Hikma Movement Ammar al-Hakim delivers his Eid speech to supporters in Baghdad (Hikma Media)
Leader of the Hikma Movement Ammar al-Hakim delivers his Eid speech to supporters in Baghdad (Hikma Media)

The festivity of Eid al-Adha in Baghdad was overshadowed by growing political tensions, particularly over the unresolved salary crisis in the Kurdistan Region.

While Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani opted for a neutral gesture - issuing a general holiday greeting and performing Eid prayers without comment - other political leaders used the occasion to speak pointedly about the nation’s deepening challenges.

Al-Sudani attended Eid prayers at Al-Rasoul Mosque in the capital, choosing to remain silent on political matters. However, influential Shiite cleric and head of the Hikma Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, and Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali both delivered speeches that touched on the country’s fraught political and economic landscape.

Al-Hakim warned against the use of political money in Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for November 11, 2025.

Calling the vote “historic,” he emphasized the need for electoral integrity and urged political blocs to adopt a national code of conduct barring the use of illicit funds. “There is talk of a market where candidates and voters are being bought. This is corruption and betrayal of the people,” he said.

He also addressed Iraq’s perennial electricity crisis, calling for a “strategic state of emergency” to resolve the issue once and for all. “Despite changing governments and large budgets, the same problems repeat themselves,” he noted.

Al-Hakim stressed the need for governments to define clear priorities, including agriculture, water, and clean energy, and said Iraqis “deserve a dignified life that begins with stable electricity and ends with technological advancement.”

Khazali, meanwhile, focused his remarks on the Kurdistan Region salary crisis, criticizing accusations from Kurdish media that he was responsible for the federal government’s suspension of public sector salaries in the region. “It’s simply not true,” he said. “Unfortunately, salaries remain unpaid to this day.”

He stressed that despite Iraq’s wealth, the country continues to suffer from poverty and unemployment, and argued that the roots of these issues lie in the legacy of the former Ba’ath regime.

Khazali also pointed out that Kurdistan experiences higher poverty rates than the rest of Iraq, and that many Iraqi refugees abroad are from the region.

Turning to the electricity crisis, he warned this summer could be the most difficult in years, as outages are expected to worsen. “All past governments focused on increasing output but ignored the need to instill a culture of energy conservation,” he said, warning that some groups may seek to exploit the crisis to sow internal unrest.