On Tuesday, members of the Al-Mnifa, Al-Hilaleya tribe issued a statement condemning the Turkish intervention in Libya.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on 9 June that he would continue supporting the Government of National Accord (GNA), led by Fayez Al-Sarraj, against the Libyan National Army (LNA), which is led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
Turkish support includes providing weapons, foreign fighters, drones, and air defense units to the GNA.
“We, the descendants of Sheikh Omar Al-Mukhtar, strongly denounce Turkey’s statements, especially when Turkish warplanes are killing our brothers and sisters”, the statement read.
The tribe expressed their condemnation, especially in light of Ankara’s continued transportation of foreign fighters to Libya.
The tribe stated that they would exploit all their financial and moral capabilities to expel what they called “Turkish invaders” and any other party trying to undermine the country’s national security.
“We are following the legacy of our ancestors and we are ready to sacrifice our lives for the sake of our land. The invaders will only find death here in Libya,” they stressed.
According to the statement, the tribe supports the Egyptian peace initiative, which has also been endorsed by regional and international actors.
They called on Egypt to move ahead and stop Ankara’s intervention in Libya.
Finally, the tribal members called on the Muslims of Turkey to stop the actions of the Turkish President, who only seeks to undermine the islamic community and achieve false personal glory.
Turkey began providing overt military support to the GNA in November, after signing a military cooperation pact alongside a maritime demarcation deal that gives Ankara exploration rights in the Mediterranean.
This deal has been rejected by Greece and several other countries.
This statement was issued by the commander of the Libyan National Army’s Air Force Major General Mohammed Al-Manfour Al-Mnifi.