Burak Dag
December 22, 2019•Update: December 23, 2019
KOCAELI, Turkey
Turkey will continue to stand with its Libyan brothers exactly like it does in Syria until peace and security are ensured, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Sunday.
Speaking at the ceremonies of the New Type Submarine Project at the Golcuk Naval Shipyard Command in the northwestern Kocaeli province, Akar said Turkey is obliged to closely follow the latest defense and security technologies for the security, peace and prosperity of the nation.
Akar said that locally produced defense products boost the confidence of the Turkish Armed Forces personnel.
He went on to say that Turkey will continue striving for self reliance in the defense industry.
Referring to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on security and military cooperation with Libya, Akar said that the deal was a strategic move to protect the rights and benefits of Turkey.
“We will continue our activities within the scope of security and military cooperation with Libya and our deep-rooted historical, cultural and economic ties.”
The Turkish parliament on Saturday ratified a motion on the approval of an MoU on security and military cooperation with Libya.
On Nov. 27, Ankara and Tripoli signed two separate MoUs; one on military cooperation and the other on maritime boundaries of countries in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Since the ouster of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: one in eastern Libya supported mainly by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and another in Tripoli, which enjoys UN and international recognition.
