On Saturday, the Member of the Libyan House of Representatives (HoR) Mohammed Al-Abani stressed that European sanctions and the threat of their imposition could be a deterrent to Ankara’s practices in Libya and lead to a reduction in its hostilities that threaten international peace and security.
Al-Abani pointed out that the violations of UN Security Council resolutions imposing an arms embargo on Libya increased, especially after Turkey’s direct intervention in the armed conflict in Libya.
Turkey has used the Mediterranean basin to smuggle weapons and mercenaries and to operate battleships and frigates in the waters of the Mediterranean, he claimed.
The Security Council embargo is not complied with as the European Union’s “IRINI” mission has not been successful at warding off illegal shipments to Libya. For instance, one of the French frigates involved in this mission was intercepted, thus harming national security and the interests of countries on the borders of the Mediterranean, like France, Italy, and Greece, as well as Libya’s neighbouring countries, like Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria.
On June 18, the French Ministry of Defence reported that their frigate named Le Courbet was attempting to identify a cargo ship suspected of transporting weapons to Libya when a Turkish frigate intercepted it in the Mediterranean.