Libyan putschist general Haftar to ‘disappear’ if support ends: Turkey's defense chief
"As the support behind him is withdrawn, lifted, putschist general Khalifa Haftar will certainly disappear there," Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar stressed in his comments as speaking to the private broadcaster A Haber on Wednesday.
- World
- Anadolu Agency
- Published Date: 04:21 | 10 June 2020
- Modified Date: 08:01 | 10 June 2020
Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar will "certainly disappear" if he loses support in the wake of multiple recent military defeats, said Turkey's national defense minister on Wednesday.
"As the support behind him is withdrawn, lifted, Haftar will certainly disappear there," Hulusi Akar told Turkish private broadcaster A Haber.
As Turkey stands against the putschist Haftar, it has been supporting the Libyan government in field of military training and cooperation, according to an earlier statement by Akar.
Turkey has long decried the illegal support given to Haftar by such countries as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
Following the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya's new government was founded in 2015 under a political deal led by the UN.
The Libyan army has made significant military gains against Haftar's militias in recent days, capturing all the country's western cities to the Tunisian border.
Libya's internationally recognized government has been under attack by Haftar's forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.