CAIRO (TASS): Turkey tentatively supports the withdrawal of all mercenaries from Libya, but negotiations with Ankara are complicated by the fact that it demands that this process be coordinated with both the West and the East of the country. This was announced on Saturday by TASS by a source close to the ongoing meetings of the country’s leadership and members of the Libyan Joint Military Committee in Turkey.
“Turkey, in principle, supports the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries from Libya, – said the agency’s interlocutor. – However, the negotiations are difficult, she insists that everyone should determine a clear time frame for the start of their withdrawal.”
“Now this is complicated by the fact that Ankara wants to establish a timetable for all, understandable for all, for the withdrawal of both Syrian mercenaries and fighters from the eastern part of the country [Libya],” the sou-rce said. December presidential and parliamentary elections as part of a comprehensive plan that was approved by the [Libya Joint Military Committ-ee].” This committee, which includes five military representatives from the western and eastern regions of Libya, has long been discussing the mechanisms for the withdrawal of foreign troops and mercenaries, which is spelled out in the ceasefire agreement between the parties, and previously planned to complete this process by the beginning of the elections. On October 8, committee members in Geneva finalized an action plan, agreeing to liaise with relevant local and international act-ors to support its impleme-ntation. In particular, it provides for four stages. The first is the withdrawal of foreign fighters from the areas of the contact lines to agreed positions, the second and third are the beginning of the work of an international committee under the patronage of the UN to monitor the number of mercenaries and foreign military personnel. In the fourth phase, a simultaneous and coordinated withdrawal of these formations should begin.
The Libyan military is e-xpected to arrive in Mos-cow in the coming days. According to the source, the visit may take place on Sunday, but everything will depend on the outcome of the talks in Ankara.
The post Turkey may withdrawal mercenaries from Libya appeared first on The Frontier Post.
