Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj in Istanbul on Friday, days after Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, who leads the Libyan National Army (LNA), threatened to attack Turkish assets in the country for allegedly supporting the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA).
Erdogan called for an end to "unlawful attacks" by Haftar's forces during a meeting with al-Sarraj, AFP reported on Friday, citing the Turkish presidential office.
"The president renewed his support for the internationally-recognized government and urged an end to unlawful attacks by Haftar's forces", the Turkish presidential office announced in a statement.
On Sunday, the Libyan Eastern city of Ajdabiya's security directorate stated that it had arrested two Turkish citizens after Haftar's instruction to respond to Turkey's support for terrorist groups in Libya. The Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement earlier that the LNA arrested six of the country's nationals and warned that Haftar's forces would become "legitimate targets" if Turkish citizens were not immediately released.
Tensions between Ankara and Eastern Libyan forces escalated last week, when the LNA claimed its air defenses had shot down a Turkish-made drone launched by the UN-backed GNA near Tripoli. At a press conference in Benghazi, the LNA spokesman, Ahmed Mismari, added that Turkish drones had been used in the recent GNA operation to recapture the strategic city of Garyan to the Ssouth of Tripoli from the LNA.
Since the overthrow and assassination of Libya's long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country has been divided between two governments. The Eastern part is controlled by the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the Western part by the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).
In April, the LNA launched an offensive to retake Tripoli from forces loyal to the GNA. The LNA has already taken under its control a number of settlements on its way to the capital, including the Tripoli International Airport./FARS NEWS Agency