BENGHAZI, 13 February, 2021 (TON): In backing the peace process in Libya, Haftar offered support.

The military commander met a former diplomat, Mohammed Younes Menfi from eastern Libya who got selected last week in a UN-backed process to head the three- member presidential council.

Libya’s eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar has offered his backing for a peace process that seeks to end a decade of chaos, after meeting the head of a new transitional presidential council.

A statement from his office read, Haftar offered “the support of the armed forces for the peace process, to defend democracy and the peaceful transfer of power.”

The spokesman to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Turkish troops will remain in Libya as long as a bilateral military agreement between Ankara and Tripoli is active and the government of Libya requests it.

Libya has been under civil war since NATO- backed uprising led to the toppling of Gadaffi in 2011.  

Recently, the government has been split between GNA (Government of National Accord) in Tripoli and an eastern based administration supported by Haftar.

Thursday’s statement read that Haftar reiterated a recent pledge of support for the leaders of this new executive authority, who were chosen “so that they can reunite the institutions and lead the country to elections.”

Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey would discuss withdrawing its troops, who Ankara says are providing military training to GNA if other foreign powers are withdrawn first.

Reports state that Turkey would play an active role in the efforts to rebuild Libya and provide support to the elected interim government.