On Wednesday, France condemned what it called “aggressive Turkish interference” in Libya and its continuous violation of the UN arms embargo.
In a strongly-worded statement, French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Agnes Von der Muhll said that the violations of the arms embargo were the main obstacles to achieving peace and stability in Libya.
“Turkey’s support for the ongoing offensive of the Government of National Accord (GNA) goes directly against efforts to secure an immediate truce,” Von der Muhll said.
She added that “this support is coupled with hostile and unacceptable behavior by the Turkish navy towards NATO allies. It is aimed at hampering efforts to implement the United Nations arms embargo”.
Notably, Senior Turkish officials made a surprise visit to Tripoli to meet the GNA on Wednesday. The Turkish delegation included Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, and National Intelligence Organization Chief Hakan Fidan.
The Turkish officials discussed the “latest developments in the crisis” with the Prime Minister of the GNA, Fayez Al-Sarraj, and the “international efforts to resolve it”, the GNA said in a statement.
The visit was also an opportunity to discuss “the return of Turkish companies” to the country.