Eastern Libyan Gov't Pledges To Fight Terrorism, Prevent Turkish Intervention - Speaker

CAIRO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2020) Libya's ongoing civil war will not end until terrorist and extremist groups in the country have been completely defeated and the Libyan people will not allow military intervention from Turkey or any other foreign power, Aguila Saleh, the speaker of Libya's eastern-based parliament, said on Sunday.

"The Libyan people will not compromise and will not allow Turkey or any other power to intervene in Libya's domestic affairs ... Our war against terrorism and extremism continues until all armed groups are expelled and the entire country of Libya has been liberated," Saleh said during a meeting with eastern Libyan tribal leaders, as quoted by the Libyan news portal Akhbar Libya.

Saleh has returned to Libya after being part of the Libyan National Army (LNA) delegation, alongside leader Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, that visited Moscow for peace talks on January 13. The speaker criticized the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), led by Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj for the failure to reach a deal.

"It was not the Russian side that did not succeed, but instead the Government of National Accord and Turkey who failed to reach a final agreement," Saleh remarked, as quoted by the portal.

The speaker also praised the role of Egypt, and the country's president Abdel Fattah Sisi, in seeking to resolve Libya's ongoing conflict.

"Egypt and the Egyptian people take a constructive position and support the legitimate side in the Libyan conflict," Saleh stated, as quoted by the portal.

Libya has been torn apart between the two rival administrations since 2011, when its long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed. The LNA currently controls the majority of territory in Libya's eastern regions, while the Tripoli-based GNA has a foothold in the country's west.

On Sunday, representatives from a number of countries and organizations, including Russia, the US, Turkey, Egypt, European Union and United Nations will meet in Berlin to find solutions to the conflict in the North African country. The Berlin conference follows the intra-Libyan talks in Moscow that took place last week, mediated by Russia and Turkey.