Saddam Haftar, the newly appointed deputy to his father, east-based Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar, launched his duties on Sunday by hosting a Turkish naval delegation in Benghazi, underscoring efforts to deepen military and maritime cooperation.
Saddam welcomed the delegation aboard the Turkish warship TCG Kinaliada, which docked in Benghazi port as part of a visit by Ankara’s navy to Libya. The LNA General Command said the talks focused on technical and military cooperation, describing the visit as proof of the “historic depth” of ties between the Libyan and Turkish navies.
The meeting came a day after Saddam was formally sworn in as deputy commander, a post created by parliament earlier this month. Khalifa Haftar hailed the move as a “pillar of cohesion” for the LNA, saying military posts were a duty rather than a privilege.
Saddam pledged to complete the army’s rebuilding and present it as “a force of peace against terrorism and extremism.” He said regions secured by the LNA were now open to investment and development.
Meanwhile, in Tripoli, rifts resurfaced in the Presidential Council after member Musa al-Koni denied involvement in a joint statement, circulated under his name alongside fellow councilman Abdullah al-Lafi, responding to a briefing by Special Representative for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Hanna Serwaa Tetteh at the Security Council on Thursday.
In a separate statement and in an apparent jab at the UN, Lafi said safeguarding Libya’s sovereignty and holding elections to renew legitimacy were top priorities, cautioning that “no foreign support will bring stability unless it aligns with a united national will.”
