Haftar: Ceasefire depends on withdrawal of Turkish forces from Libya

(Patria) – General Khalifa Haftar, who controls the eastern part of Libya, stated that he would accept a ceasefire if Turkish and Syrian mercenaries left the country, and if Turkey stopped supplying arms to the internationally recognized government in Tripoli.

Haftar (76), known as 'Marshal' among his supporters, established a military regime in eastern Libya. For six years, he has been trying to take control of the country by military means, and for the past ten months, he has been attacking the capital, Tripoli.

He is supported by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Russia, which has sent its mercenaries. At the same time, the government in Tripoli, recognized by the United Nations, is defended by regional paramilitary forces and, recently, Turkey, which has sent hundreds of paid Syrian fighters there, writes the New York Times.

Last month, Haftar forcibly halted oil production in the country to further weaken the official government in Tripoli. In the past few days, his forces shelled a civilian port, killing three people. A tanker carrying gas narrowly avoided being hit during the shelling.

This Haftar attack, the last straw, led the government in Tripoli to halt peace talks hosted by the United Nations.

Haftar told the Russian news agency RIA that he would accept a ceasefire under the conditions of the withdrawal of Syrian and Turkish mercenaries, the cessation of arms supplies by the Turkish government, and the liquidation of terrorist groups in Tripoli, Reuters reports.