Turkey’s interference in region encourages terrorism: Dar al-Ifta

CAIRO - 5 January 2020: "Turkey’s interference in the region creates a fertile environment for extremists and terrorist groups," said the Observatory for Monitoring Takfiri Fatwas and Extremist Ideologies at Dar al-Ifta in a statement on Sunday.

“The Turkish ambitions in the Arab states and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s attempts to control Syria and Libya create a fertile environment for the terrorist trends and organizations,” the statement read.

The observatory added that such ambitions increase chaos and incite violence in war-stricken countries, noting that Turkey’s intervention in Libya, which represents a blatant violation against the international laws and resolutions, will turn the country into another Syria.

"The unlawful and controversial Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between Turkey and Head of the Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj result in dire consequences in the whole region," said the Observatory, calling upon the international community to fully support the Libyan Parliament, which stands against the signed deals.

On January 2, 2020, the Turkish Parliament voted for Erdogan’s proposal to send Turkish troops to Libya after signing the deals in February 2019 on drawing maritime borders in the Mediterranean Sea- one of the largest natural gas resources in the region- and on enhancing military cooperation.

The deals provoked anger in Egypt, Cyprus and Greece that voiced their rejection of the deal as it contradicts with the international agreements. “Egypt affirms that such memoranda possess no legal effect, as they cannot be recognized in light of the fact that Article 8 of the Sukhirat Political Agreement on Libya, widely accepted by Libyans, defines the competences conferred to the Council of Ministers, expressly stipulating that the Council of Ministers as an entity – and not the president of the council alone – has the power to conclude international agreements,” the Egyptian Foreign Ministry earlier said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Libyan Parliament held Saturday an emergency session, in which it voted on a bundle of decisions, including the rejection of the deals inked between the GNA and Turkey.

The parliament voted unanimously on authorizing General Commander of the Libyan National Army Khalifa Haftar to disable airports, ports, and land gates that are controlled by the militias.

The parliament further agreed to address the UN Security Council, the League of Arab States, the African Union, the European Union and other international organizations to withdraw the recognition of the GNA.