We reject the unfounded accusations of Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry against Turkey within the context of Libya in the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat DAESH/ISIS Small Group on 4 June 2020. In fact, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Sedat Önal gave the necessary response to the Egyptian Foreign Minister during the meeting.

As we have stated in the meeting, putschist and pirate Haftar, who attempts to create another authoritarian regime in the region by overthrowing the legitimate government, as well as his backers including the Egyptian administration, constitute the major obstacle to the establishment of peace and stability in Libya. It is not surprising that those who have taken over their administration by coup d’état support a putschist. Egypt’s years-long military support to putschist Haftar constitutes a clear violation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. The Libyan people will always hold accountable those supporting putschist Haftar, who does not even see harm in oppressing his own people and threatens the unity and future of his country, for the chaos and instability in Libya.

Turkey, the only country which neutralized thousands of terrorists by engaging in hand-to-hand combat against DAESH in Syria, will maintain its support to the legitimate government in Libya upon its request and pursuant to the relevant UN resolutions, and continue its efforts for the establishment of peace, prosperity and stability in the country.