Libya’s House of Representatives calls on Egypt to prepare for a military confrontation with Turkey; Egyptian President el-Sisi urges the military to prepare for an imminent threat; It is likely that Turkey is looking to expand their power throughout the region due to their interest in oil.
The Tobruk-based House of Representatives in Libya voted on Monday to call on Egypt in preparation for an imminent military conflict with Turkey. This comes amid Turkey’s growing influence throughout Libya as they support the United Nations-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), which is led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj.
The resolution passed by the Libyan House of Representatives urged “Egyptian armed forces to intervene to protect the national security of Libya and Egypt if they see an imminent danger to both our countries.”
The GNA has been combating the Libyan National Army (LNA) for several years now, which is led by General Khalifa Haftar. The LNA is supported by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Russia and Egypt. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has warned his military to prepare for escalation in this conflict.
As Turkey has continued to push its way east, they’ve also set their sights on the town of Sirte, causing Egypt to move to high alert. It’s reported that the Egyptian Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Mohamed Zaki, has been stationed near the western border of Egypt for nearly a month now in preparation for a potential scenario like this.
One of the major motives for Turkey’s growing involvement in Libya is the oil supply. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was as transparent as can be when he stated back in June that “The military operations in this Libyan city are important and sensitive because of the presence of oil and gas wells,” speaking of the city of Sirte.
