On Monday, the spokesman for the Libyan National Army (LNA), Major General Ahmed Al-Mismari, announced that LNA forces have intercepted a Turkish ship, flying the Jamaican flag, which was heading to the port of Misrata in western Libya.
Al-Mismari added that the commercial cargo ship, ‘Mabrouka’, had 17 crew members including nine Turkish nationals and also carried containers that had not yet been inspected. LNA naval forces stopped it near the eastern port of Derna.
The spokesman expressed his grave concerns over Turkey’s continued transfer of military equipment, mercenaries, and terrorists from other countries to Libya. He alleged that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan does not want peace and seeks to void the ceasefire in the country.
The Turkish-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) and the LNA signed a ceasefire agreement in October, under the auspices of the United Nations. The two sides have agreed to hold national elections in December 2021.