Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg, said that he was exerting enormous political pressure on Turkey to withdraw its mercenaries from Libya.
During a television interview broadcast on Sunday, Asselborn pointed out that the Libyan crisis remained very complex and stressed the need to disarm all militias. He also noted that the collapse of Libya means that Europe will suffer from a wave of extremists, displaced persons, and illegal migrants.
Regarding the Turkish-Greek crisis, Asselborn said that Greece does not want to start a war and is committed to the utmost restraint in dealing with Ankara’s provocations. “The European Union supports Greece, as we also do,” Asselborn said.
“The EU has given Turkey an ultimatum, otherwise sanctions will be a deterrent,” he noted. Luxembourg’s top diplomat reiterated that the eastern Mediterranean crisis cannot be solved militarily as “The outbreak of a military confrontation between Turkey and Greece will lead to disastrous results.”
On Friday, Turkish Naval Forces conducted military exercises off the coast of Libya. Turkey, which is exploring gas and oil reserves in the eastern Mediterranean, deployed an exploration ship last month, escorted by military frigates. Greece responded by conducting naval military exercises in the area.