A source revealed on Saturday that the Prime Minister of Libya, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, agreed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to make an official request to Turkey to increase the number of its security and advisory mission in Libya. The source, speaking to "218" channel, noted that Dbeibeh and Erdogan, who met in Istanbul on Friday, agreed to send a new batch of Libyan security personnel to the military academy in Isparta for training.
The source stated that "the fate of the elections received significant attention during Dbeibeh's discussions with Erdogan," indicating a shared "concern over the recent security deterioration in the western region." Furthermore, it was mentioned that a "forthcoming" Libyan-Turkish meeting is expected in the second half of November to discuss the activation of the maritime memorandum of understanding, though the parties involved or the location of the meeting were not specified.
Additionally, the Libyan Joint Military Commission (5+5) is scheduled to visit both Russia and Turkey this month to discuss with officials from these countries the issue of removing foreign mercenaries from Libyan territory. The visit is set to occur after the Paris Conference on Libya, which is scheduled for November 12, to explore avenues for cooperation and coordination with these countries regarding the removal of mercenaries and all foreign forces from Libya.
Libyan authorities, along with regional and Western countries, are pressing for the withdrawal of all foreign mercenaries, asserting that achieving stability and lasting peace in Libya is directly linked to the definitive exit of all foreign forces and mercenaries.
The conflicting parties in Libya reached a ceasefire agreement in Geneva, Switzerland, a year ago, which stipulated the withdrawal of all mercenaries and foreign forces from Libya by January. However, disputes between the parties and the countries concerned with the issue have hindered the removal of mercenaries from Libyan territory.
Despite intensive meetings by the Joint Military Commission to address the mercenary issue, no tangible progress has been made in their withdrawal from Libyan territory, except for an agreement among commission members to develop a plan and timeline for their phased removal, along with declarations of goodwill from some countries involved in this file (Chad, Sudan, and Niger), contrasted by Turkey's obstinacy and Russia's denial of ties to Wagner Group fighters present in Libya.
According to United Nations estimates, approximately 20,000 foreign mercenaries have been stationed in Libya since December 2020.
