The Libyan National Army (LNA) has allowed Turkish merchant ships to enter ports in eastern Libya, according to Major General Khaled Al-Mahjoub, the LNA’s Director of Moral Guidance.
“The Office of Military Intelligence has given permission to the Chief of Staff of the Navy and the Port Authority that ships flying under the Turkish flag can anchor in areas of the armed forces (ports), with an emphasis on adhering to a security protocol”, Al-Mahjoub told Sputnik news agency on Wednesday.
“The decision of the Libyan Naval Staff to allow the entry of Turkish ships and commercial vessels was in the interest of lifting the burden on Libyan citizens and merchants,” Al-Mahjoub added.
This comes after the new Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU) assumed control in a step towards ending the division between the authorities in the east and west of the war-torn country. The new government vowed to unify the divided Libyan military forces.