The spokesperson for the Turkish Defence Ministry, Pinar Kara, said that more than 2,300 soldiers aligned with the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) have completed their training in Turkey. Kara added that about 264 GNA soldiers are still being trained by the Turkish military.
The Defence Ministry spokesperson claimed in a press conference that Turkey intervened in Libya to support the GNA in accordance with international law. She stressed that the bilateral agreements signed between the two countries are legal.
Kara noted that the Turkish military fully supports the GNA through training in the fields of mine clearance, healthcare, humanitarian assistance, and advisory support.
Last week, the GNA’s Defence Ministry announced that the first group of special military forces trained by Turkey had completed their training. A graduation ceremony was held in the Omar Al-Mukhtar training centre, near Tripoli. The graduates completed eight weeks of training “in order to raise the Libyan army to international standards”, the GNA’s Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Turkey signed a security and military agreement with the GNA in November 2019, including a memorandum of understanding on maritime borders. Several countries, including Egypt and Greece, consider these agreements a violation of international law.