By Hagar al-Dosoki
CAIRO
Libyan Health Minister Reda al-Okali said Saturday that nine Turks, who had been released one day earlier, were set to leave Libya to Tunisia en route to Turkey.
"The Turkish citizens who were released from detention are currently in al-Bayda International Airport," al-Okali told Anadolu agency by phone.
"They're preparing to leave Libya to Tunisia, from where they will travel to Istanbul," he added.
On Friday, forces loyal to former Libyan army chief Khalifa Haftar announced that they had handed nine Turkish nationals who had been held for two weeks in the eastern city of Benghazi to the government of Abdullah al-Thinni.
Al-Okali said that nine Turks were in good health and that they have not been harassed during their detention.
Libya has been dogged by instability since the 2011 ouster and death of Muammar Gaddafi, with several militias who helped overthrow the strongman refusing to lay down their arms.
Earlier this year, Haftar declared war on Islamist militias based in eastern Libya, vowing to "purge" the country of "extremists."
www.aa.com.tr/en
