• About
  • Contact
  • News Tips
Monday, January 25, 2021
Nordic Monitor
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Give us a tip!
  • About Us
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Give us a tip!
  • About Us
No Result
View All Result
Nordic Monitor
No Result
View All Result
Home EditorsPick

15 Turks held by Haftar forces in Libya since February

by Nordic Monitor
April 13, 2020
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare On TelegramShare On Whatsapp

Nordic Monitor

 

Fifteen Turkish citizens have been held by forces loyal to Gen. Khalifa Haftar, leader of the Libyan National Army (LNA), since the beginning of the February.

According to family members of those Turkish nationals who spoke to the Cumhuriyet daily, they were arrested by LNA forces due to the deployment of Turkish troops to Libya by the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. They asked the government to act urgently for the Turks’ release.

In Libya, Turkey supports the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, which opposes Haftar. The Turkish government deployed troops to Libya and transferred jihadists from the Syrian region of Idlib to the country in accordance with a security accord signed in November 2019 by President Erdoğan and Fayez al-Sarraj, head of the GNA.

According to the Turkish media, İlker Sağlık, Halil Gözel, Nurettin Çalık, Yusuf Gürün, Vahit Kiraz and Doğan Kıssa are some of Turkish nationals who are being held by Haftar forces.

The son — whose name was not disclosed by the daily — of Vahit Kiraz, who was arrested in Sirte on February 5, 2020 and is the owner of a Turkish restaurant in the Libyan city, claimed that his father was accused by the LNA of engaging in espionage. “They were arrested on espionage charges. My father has been living in Libya for 30 years. … We have learned that they are being held in the Kuveyfiye military prison [in Benghazi],” he stated. 

Haftar forces seized control of the strategic coastal city of Sirte in January 2020. Sirte had been governed since 2016 by forces allied with the GNA based in Tripoli.

According to Cumhuriyet, relatives of the detainees have faced threats from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), and the government is trying to hide the incident. “My mother has been in the hospital since my father’s arrest. We are very sad. No government official has contacted us. I’ve asked A Haber [a Turkish TV station owned by Erdoğan] and TRT [the public broadcaster] why [the arrest of Turkish nationals] was not reported. They told me that the government does not want the incident to be made public. AKP officials to whom I have reached out have threatened my job since I’m a public official and said, ‘Should the government contact Haftar? Contacting [the LNA] would mean official recognition.’ Will those people die there?” Kiraz’s son asked.

Yakup Demir filed a petition with Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu seeking the ministry’s assistance for the release of his father-in-law, Halil Gözel, who was arrested on February 6 in Libya. The Turkish Embassy in Tripoli informed Demir that the embassy was unable to secure the release of the Turkish nationals, which would only be possible with the help of third parties, Cumhuriyet reported.

According to Cumhuriyet, another Turkish citizen, A.K., who was also being held in Sirte, has been freed thanks to efforts by his Libyan business partner. A.K. returned Turkey on his own, the Turkish daily stated.

 


Turkish citizen (A.K.) who was being held in Sirte spoke to daily Cumhuriyet

 

Haftar declared a general mobilization last year as tensions between Ankara and the LNA mounted and ordered that all Turkish nationals be arrested and all restaurants and shops with Turkish names or products be closed.

Following the deployment of the Turkish troops and Syrian jihadists, Turkish soldiers, an intelligence officer and Syrian fighters were killed when Turkish drones and military vehicles were attacked by LNA forces.

However, Turkish authorities arrested several journalists over a report that revealed photos of a Turkish intelligence officer apparently killed in Libya, in order to control the narrative about its intelligence activities in the North African country.

Previous Post

Turkey’s confidential diplomatic correspondence leaked to Iran

Next Post

Turkish intelligence officer, familiar with Erdoğan’s links to jihadists, mysteriously killed in Libya

Nordic Monitor

Nordic Monitor

[email protected]

Next Post
Turkish intelligence officer, familiar with Erdoğan’s links to jihadists, mysteriously killed in Libya

Turkish intelligence officer, familiar with Erdoğan’s links to jihadists, mysteriously killed in Libya

Donate

Follow Us

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Turkish judge on Europe’s top human rights court acts as Erdoğan’s Trojan horse

Turkish judge on Europe’s top human rights court acts as Erdoğan’s Trojan horse

January 16, 2021
Turkey’s top security official suspected of being a drug kingpin

Turkey’s top security official suspected of being a drug kingpin

January 21, 2021
IRGC Quds Force set up a shop in Turkey’s capital to recruit militants including al-Qaeda aspirants

IRGC Quds Force set up a shop in Turkey’s capital to recruit militants including al-Qaeda aspirants

January 13, 2021
President Erdoğan’s advisor says Turkey’s intel agency will feed Swedish-based Turkish journalist to the sharks

President Erdoğan’s advisor says Turkey’s intel agency will feed Swedish-based Turkish journalist to the sharks

January 21, 2021
Turkey has a plan for the invasion of Greece, secret documents reveal

Turkey has a plan for the invasion of Greece, secret documents reveal

82
Turkish intelligence agent who runs secret ops in Libya executed false flag coup bid in 2016

Turkish intelligence agent who runs secret ops in Libya executed false flag coup bid in 2016

22
Turkish intelligence operations in Greece exposed in secret documents

Turkish intelligence operations in Greece exposed in secret documents

17
Turkish spy agency MIT involved in intelligence gathering in Australia, targeting gov’t critics

More secret documents confirming vast Turkish espionage activities in Greece uncovered

15
Turkish police chief who took measures to protect US, NATO and Israeli officials wrongfully jailed

Turkish police chief who took measures to protect US, NATO and Israeli officials wrongfully jailed

January 25, 2021
Turkey, Tunisia defense industry deal provides basis for joint production of military systems

Turkey, Tunisia defense industry deal provides basis for joint production of military systems

January 24, 2021
Turkish intelligence recruited nephew of Gülen as informant to infiltrate critical group

Turkish intelligence recruited nephew of Gülen as informant to infiltrate critical group

January 23, 2021
Erdoğan’s long-arm charity IHH increases its presence in Mali

Erdoğan’s long-arm charity IHH increases its presence in Mali

January 22, 2021

Recommended

Turkish police chief who took measures to protect US, NATO and Israeli officials wrongfully jailed

Turkish police chief who took measures to protect US, NATO and Israeli officials wrongfully jailed

January 25, 2021
Turkey, Tunisia defense industry deal provides basis for joint production of military systems

Turkey, Tunisia defense industry deal provides basis for joint production of military systems

January 24, 2021
Turkish intelligence recruited nephew of Gülen as informant to infiltrate critical group

Turkish intelligence recruited nephew of Gülen as informant to infiltrate critical group

January 23, 2021
Erdoğan’s long-arm charity IHH increases its presence in Mali

Erdoğan’s long-arm charity IHH increases its presence in Mali

January 22, 2021

Nordic Monitor

Nordic Monitor is a news web site and tracking site that is run by the Stockholm-based Nordic Research and Monitoring Network. It covers religious, ideological and ethnic extremist movements and radical groups, with a special focus on Turkey.

Tags

Abdullah Bozkurt al-Qaeda Andrei Karlov Azerbaijan China coup Cyprus Diyanet Doğu Perinçek Egypt espionage European Union Fethullah Gulen Germany Greece Gülen Movement Hakan Fidan Hulusi Akar IHH Iran ISIL ISIS Israel Libya Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu MIT Muslim Brotherhood NATO Press Freedom Qatar Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Russia SADAT Saudi Arabia Selected Article 1 Selected Article 2 Selected Article 3 spying Syria The United States Torture Turkey United States Yasin al-Qadi

Recent News

Turkish police chief who took measures to protect US, NATO and Israeli officials wrongfully jailed

Turkish police chief who took measures to protect US, NATO and Israeli officials wrongfully jailed

January 25, 2021
Turkey, Tunisia defense industry deal provides basis for joint production of military systems

Turkey, Tunisia defense industry deal provides basis for joint production of military systems

January 24, 2021
Turkish intelligence recruited nephew of Gülen as informant to infiltrate critical group

Turkish intelligence recruited nephew of Gülen as informant to infiltrate critical group

January 23, 2021

Copyright © Nordic Research and Monitoring Network All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Give us a tip!
  • About Us

Copyright © Nordic Research and Monitoring Network All rights reserved.