Opposition Parties Reject Any Turkish Activity in Tunisia

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meets with Tunisia's President Kais Saied in Tunis, Tunisia, December 25, 2019. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meets with Tunisia's President Kais Saied in Tunis, Tunisia, December 25, 2019. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS
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Opposition Parties Reject Any Turkish Activity in Tunisia

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meets with Tunisia's President Kais Saied in Tunis, Tunisia, December 25, 2019. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meets with Tunisia's President Kais Saied in Tunis, Tunisia, December 25, 2019. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS

Six opposition parties announced their absolute rejection of any Turkish activity on Tunisian soil, urging authorities to avoid their vague approach towards Turkish actions in Tunisia that are aimed at supporting militias and terrorists.

The parties also demanded on authorities to take “a clear stance that rejects foreign military presence in the region.”

The leftist Workers’ Party, the Popular Front, the Socialist Party, Baath Movement, as well as the Tunisia Forward and al-Qutb party denounced any attempt “to involve Tunisia in the regional hubs' game at the expense of its national security as well as the Libyan people’s security and stability.”

Head of the Workers’ Party Hamma Hammami called on the President, Kais Saied, to take a clear stance on Turkey's military efforts in the region that pose major threat to regional peace and security.

He stressed that: “Turkey is indirectly participating by sending mercenaries from Syria to Libya and directly by providing aid to one of the parties to the conflict.”

Head of the opposition Project of Tunisia Movement Mohsen Marzouk, for his part, considered the presidency’s approval on the landing of a Turkish plane at one of Tunis's airports “a deviation in Tunisia’s position, which was supposed to be neutral in the Libyan conflict.”

He noted that the plane was loaded with medical equipment destined for a specific party in the Libyan internal conflict.

Marzouk said the presidency’s decision may raise doubts that Tunisia is involved in a specific international hub led by Turkey, which has been militarily involved in the Libyan conflict, “without any noticeable humanitarian action there.”

Turkey has been using Libyan sea and airports for a while now to transport weapons and terrorist elements to fight in Libya.



Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: Lebanon Included in Ceasefire Deal

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih. dpa
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih. dpa
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Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: Lebanon Included in Ceasefire Deal

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih. dpa
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih. dpa

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday that the US-Iran-Israel deal to reach a ceasefire also covered the fighting in Lebanon.

He said, however, that Israel did not abide by the two-week ceasefire, in violation of the agreement.

Berri said the deal clearly includes Lebanon, and that this is what should be happening.

He revealed that he had contacted Pakistan, a key mediator, to inform it of Tel Aviv’s failure to comply with the ceasefire, and asked it to communicate with the US to pressure Israel.

Berri added in his remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat that he had contacted more than one party and received confirmations that Lebanon was part of the agreement.

 

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on the village of Arnoun in southern Lebanon as seen from nearby Marjayoun on April 7, 2026. (Photo by AFP)

However, the speaker did not rule out that Israel may attempt “to undermine the deal, given that it is the party most adversely affected.”

Israel said early Wednesday that the deal doesn’t cover fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel’s military said later that fighting and ground operations continue.


Nawaf Salam to Asharq Al-Awsat: No One but the State Negotiates for Lebanon

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam chairs a government meeting. (Lebanese government)
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam chairs a government meeting. (Lebanese government)
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Nawaf Salam to Asharq Al-Awsat: No One but the State Negotiates for Lebanon

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam chairs a government meeting. (Lebanese government)
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam chairs a government meeting. (Lebanese government)

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday that “no one negotiates for Lebanon except for the Lebanese state” - in his first comments since the two-week ceasefire was reached between the US and Israel over Iran.

Addressing the debate over whether Lebanon was included in the ceasefire, the PM refused to go into details about ongoing contacts.

Instead, he stressed that the Lebanese state was performing its duties in this regard and is mobilizing all efforts to help the country out of the crisis it was dragged into against its will.


Hemedti Says Ready to Cooperate with UN Envoy to End Sudan War

RSF commander receives the UN secretary-general’s personal envoy Pekka Haavisto in Nairobi. (Rapid Support Forces)
RSF commander receives the UN secretary-general’s personal envoy Pekka Haavisto in Nairobi. (Rapid Support Forces)
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Hemedti Says Ready to Cooperate with UN Envoy to End Sudan War

RSF commander receives the UN secretary-general’s personal envoy Pekka Haavisto in Nairobi. (Rapid Support Forces)
RSF commander receives the UN secretary-general’s personal envoy Pekka Haavisto in Nairobi. (Rapid Support Forces)

Commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, said he is ready to “stop the war and cooperate to deliver humanitarian aid to all areas affected by the conflict in the country,” in talks with the United Nations secretary-general’s personal envoy, Pekka Haavisto.

Dagalo, who heads a parallel government, met Haavisto late Monday in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, according to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

In a statement on Facebook, Hemedti said he discussed with Haavisto “political and security developments, as well as the humanitarian situation and efforts aimed at achieving peace and stability.”

He added that his government, based in the Darfur city of Nyala, is “fully prepared to cooperate with the United Nations and work to provide the necessary assistance to help alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people.”

Hemedti briefed the UN envoy on “the causes of the war ignited by the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies within the Sudanese army,” reiterating his government’s commitment to “the unity of the country to block attempts aimed at fragmenting Sudan and dismantling its social fabric.”

The RSF leader stressed “the importance of conducting a transparent and fair investigation into the violations suffered by Sudanese civilians, foremost among them the use of chemical weapons,” describing this as “a fundamental step toward ending the war and achieving peace in the country — a demand that is non-negotiable under any circumstances.”

Hemedti renewed his call for the United Nations to open offices in areas under the control of his government, known as Tasis, in the Darfur and Kordofan regions to deliver humanitarian assistance to civilians there.

For his part, Haavisto affirmed the UN’s efforts to end the war and achieve peace in Sudan.

He welcomed the RSF leader’s response to the meeting, during which they exchanged views on the overall situation in Sudan, noting that he has listened to a number of Sudanese parties as part of efforts to identify the most effective paths toward resolving the crisis.

Dujarric said the meeting between the UN envoy and the RSF commander provided a constructive opportunity to exchange views and explore practical ways to de-escalate and ensure the continued protection of civilians.

In a press briefing, he added that all Sudanese parties the envoy met in Nairobi expressed readiness to cooperate with the United Nations. He pointed in this regard to Haavisto’s meeting last week in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, with army commander and Sovereign Council chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, during which they discussed international efforts to end the war.

The UN spokesman renewed the organization’s call on the parties to the conflict in Sudan to “immediately cease hostilities, protect civilians and infrastructure, and ensure rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access.”

He also stressed the need for additional funding for humanitarian assistance in Sudan, estimating that $2.9 billion is required to reach more than 20 million people across the country.