Turkish Journalist Hamza Tekin: Turkey Will Send Soldiers and Equipment That Will Tip the Scales in Libya in Favor of the Government of National Accord

On December 17, 2019, Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) hosted a debate about Turkish involvement in Libya between Lebanese political analyst Nidal Al-Sabeh and Turksih journalist Hamza Tekin. Nidal Al-Sabeh held up pictures of Turkish military officers he said are killing Libyans and questioned why they are in Libya. Hamza Tekin responded that the officers are there because Turkey is assisting Libya’s Government of National Accord strategically and logistically against those who are waging a coup. He added that Turkey will also send soldiers and equipment in order to tip the scales in favor of the Libyan government.

Following are excerpts:

Nidal Al-Sabeh: Can you tell me what this Turkish officer is doing with the UAVs that are killing Libyans? This is his passport.

TV Host: Where are Libyans being killed? In Tripoli? Do you know who is killing Libyans in Tripoli? It is [Khalifa] Haftar, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Russia.

Nidal Al-Sabeh: These are the passports of Turkish officers that are killing Libyan people.

[…]

Hamza Tamkin: With regard to those Turkish officers…  Yes, there are Turkish soldiers in Libya. They are providing strategic and logistical aid to the legitimate government in Libya – not to those who are waging a coup. I would like to inform him and everybody else: Turkey will not only send an officer or two to Libya in support of the legitimate Government of National Accord. Turkey will send soldiers and equipment that will tip the scales in favor of the Libyan people and the Government of National Accord, I keeping with the interests of Libya and Turkey.