People walk on a street in Ankara, Türkiye, on Oct 6, 2022. (PHOTO BY MUSTAFA / XINHUA)
ANKARA – Türkiye and Libya have signed two agreements on defense cooperation, Türkiye's Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Libyan Prime Minister and Defense Minister Abdul-Hamed Dbeibah signed the two agreements when they met on the sidelines of a defense and aerospace industry fair in Istanbul on Tuesday, according to a ministry statement.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Libyan Prime Minister and Defense Minister Abdul-Hamed Dbeibah signed the two agreements when they met on the sidelines of a defense and aerospace industry fair in Istanbul on Tuesday, according to a ministry statement
According to one of the agreements, the Turkish armed forces will help train Libyan military pilots to increase the efficiency of the country's air force.
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The other agreement focuses on improving the existing military relations between Türkiye and Libya, aiming to implement a 2019 security cooperation deal signed between Türkiye and Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA), which dissolved in 2021 and was superseded by the current Government of National Unity (GNU) headed by Dbeibah.
In 2019, Ankara and the GNA signed two memorandums of understanding on military cooperation and maritime boundaries in the Eastern Mediterranean.
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Türkiye has provided military support for the Tripoli-based GNA and its successor GNU, including sending troops to Libya, against east-based forces under Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar following the deal.
On Oct 3, Türkiye and the GNU signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation on gas and oil.
Libya has been suffering political instability and chaos ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011.
In February, the Libyan House of Representatives, or the parliament, appointed a new government headed by Fathi Bashagha.
However, Tripoli-based Prime Minister Dbeibah refused to hand over power, saying his government would continue working and only hand over office to an elected government.