Al-Menfi Emphasizes 'Libyan Reconciliation', Kubis Calls for Ending 'Divisions'

 Mohammad Al-Menfi after performing the Eid prayer in Tobruk on Tuesday. (Photo: Presidential Council)
Mohammad Al-Menfi after performing the Eid prayer in Tobruk on Tuesday. (Photo: Presidential Council)
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Al-Menfi Emphasizes 'Libyan Reconciliation', Kubis Calls for Ending 'Divisions'

 Mohammad Al-Menfi after performing the Eid prayer in Tobruk on Tuesday. (Photo: Presidential Council)
Mohammad Al-Menfi after performing the Eid prayer in Tobruk on Tuesday. (Photo: Presidential Council)

Mohammad Al-Menfi, Chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council, who performed the Eid al-Adha prayer on Tuesday in the city of Tobruk, stressed the importance of adhering to the values of tolerance and sacrifice, pointing out in a statement to the Council’s efforts to achieve national reconciliation as an ideal option to restore stability and reunite the people of the country.

In turn, Moussa al-Koni, a member of the Presidential Council, said in a brief tweet that holding the elections on Dec. 24, “will be a victory for the nation.”

In this context, the High Electoral Commission pledged to achieve the aspirations of the Libyans in the elections, and called for a massive participation, which “will lead to the building of a secure and stable homeland.”

In a statement, the commission pointed to the ongoing registration process, noting that more than 2.5 million voters have been registered so far.

For his part, Jan Kubis, Head of the United Nations Mission in Libya, congratulated the citizens on the occasion of Eid al-Adha and urged all Libyan leaders and institutions to carry the message of peace, compassion and reconciliation in order to end the continuing divisions in the country.

“On behalf of the entire United Nations family in Libya, I wish all of you and your loved ones and families a peaceful and joyous holiday full of hope for a better future. As we commemorate this occasion, I urge all Libyan leaders and institutions to remember the message of peace, compassion, and reconciliation that this occasion symbolizes to put an end to the continued divisions in the country and to the hardship the Libyan people continue to endure,” The Special Envoy said.

He added: “On this occasion, I call on all key Libyan decision-makers and institutions to safeguard what has been achieved since the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement in October 2020 and work together in a spirit of unity and patriotism, shoulder and share the responsibility to put the welfare and the interests of the Libyan people above narrow interests. May the goodwill of this holy occasion inspire you all to intensify your efforts to continue with the path of peace through enabling the holding of national elections on 24 Dec. 2021.”



Türkiye to Equip, Train Syrian Army Under New Defense Pact

Turkish defense minister meets Syrian defense, foreign and intelligence chiefs in Ankara (Turkish Defense Ministry on X)
Turkish defense minister meets Syrian defense, foreign and intelligence chiefs in Ankara (Turkish Defense Ministry on X)
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Türkiye to Equip, Train Syrian Army Under New Defense Pact

Turkish defense minister meets Syrian defense, foreign and intelligence chiefs in Ankara (Turkish Defense Ministry on X)
Turkish defense minister meets Syrian defense, foreign and intelligence chiefs in Ankara (Turkish Defense Ministry on X)

Türkiye has pledged to support Syria in its fight against terrorism and to bolster its defense and security capabilities under a newly signed military cooperation agreement, a senior Turkish defense official said on Thursday.

The memorandum of understanding, signed in Ankara on Wednesday by Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and his Syrian counterpart Merhaf Abu Qasra, provides for the supply of weapons systems, logistical equipment and, if needed, military advice to the Syrian army on their use, the official told a weekly ministry briefing.

“Thanks to the knowledge and expertise of our armed forces, we will continue to support Syria in its war on terror and in strengthening its defensive and security capabilities,” the official said, calling the agreement “another important step” in defense cooperation with Damascus.

The deal sets out plans for joint military training, intelligence sharing, procurement of weapons and related logistics, as well as technical assistance and specialized training in areas such as counter-terrorism, demining, cyber defense, military engineering, logistics and peacekeeping, according to the Turkish and Syrian defense ministries.

The signing, attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shibani and intelligence chief Hussein Salameh, followed months of negotiations and earlier talks between the Syrian delegation and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

Discussions touched on developments in Syria, unrest in Sweida, and the refusal of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to implement a March 10 deal with Damascus to integrate into state institutions.

Warning to Kurdish-led forces

The Turkish defense official accused the SDF – which Ankara regards as a terrorist organization linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and which is backed by the United States – of violating all terms of the March agreement and undermining Syria’s political unity and territorial integrity.

“The separatist rhetoric voiced by the SDF at a conference in Hasaka on Aug. 8 contradicts the agreement with the Syrian government,” the official said, in Türkiye’s first formal response to the meeting held by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria under the banner “Conference for Unity of Stance.”

He said Damascus had taken a comprehensive approach to ending ethnic, religious and sectarian divisions, but that the SDF’s “provocative and divisive behavior” was obstructing that process.

“We expect the SDF to fully comply with the agreement signed with Damascus and to implement it swiftly on the ground to build a stable, peaceful, safe and terrorism-free Syria,” he added. “From the start, we have defended Syria’s political unity and territorial integrity, and this memorandum reinforces that commitment.”

Fidan, speaking alongside Shibani at a news conference in Ankara on Wednesday, also warned the SDF against “buying time,” saying Türkiye would not remain idle in the face of unaddressed security concerns.

Turkish sources revealed that Ankara does not plan a direct military operation against the SDF but will back any Syrian army action, and has conveyed that position to Washington.

Syrian refugee returns

In a separate update, Turkish authorities said 411,000 Syrian refugees had voluntarily returned home since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government on Dec. 8, 2024.

Since 2016, a total of about 1.15 million Syrians have gone back voluntarily, reducing the number of Syrians in Türkiye under temporary protection to 2.54 million, official figures showed.