LNA Commander: No Meaning of Independence until Turkey Leaves Our Lands

On Thursday, Commander in Chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, said that there is no real meaning of independence, freedom, security, or peace, as long as Turkish forces are still desecrating Libyan immaculate soil.

Haftar's comments came in response to the Turkish parliament's decision to extend for 18 months a law that allows the deployment of Turkish troops to Libya.

During his speech to mark celebration on the 69th anniversary of Libya's Independence Day, Haftar said that the colonizing enemy, in reference to Turkey, has one of two choices: either to leave peacefully or to be driven out by force.

He also threatened Thursday to use force against Turkish troops if Ankara doesn't stop interfering in the North African country, stressing, “We will carry weapons to bring about peace with our own hands and our free will.”

The Commander-in-Chief indicated that the LNA forces had drifted towards peace and positively responded to the international community calls for a ceasefire, taking into account the legitimate aspirations of the Libyans to live in peace and end the war.

He also called on the heroic LNA officers, soldiers and all Libyans to be on high alert to fight against Turkey, which rejects the logic of peace.

He stressed that a decisive confrontation against Turkish invaders is looming, especially in light of recent mobilization of the Government of National Accord (GNA)-aligned militias near the contact lines.

Field Marshal Haftar explained that all these indications reflect Turkey's insistence on war in order to achieve its delusive dreams of expansion and control over Libyan oil.

Libya descended into chaos following the 2011 uprising that ousted and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Hafter has been allied with the eastern government, while Turkey has supported the GNA.

The Turkish lawmakers' decision came Tuesday, despite a U.N.-brokered cease-fire in Libya declared in October. The cease-fire deal envisioned the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries within three months.

The U.N. Support Mission in Libya seized the same national occasion to urge Libya's rivals to observe the cease-fire and respect a political roadmap that envisages the holding of national elections in December 2021.