Libyan Parliament hails Egypt’s ‘courageous stance’ to thwart Turkish colonial ambitions

CAIRO – 21 July 2020: The Libyan House of Representatives hailed the decision made Monday by the Egyptian Parliament to approve sending troops to Libya, describing it as a “courageous stance.”

“We salute the Egyptian people, His Excellency President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and the Egyptian Council of Representatives presidency and members on the courageous stance that embodies the depth of brotherly relations between the two countries and the two brotherly peoples and embodies Arab solidarity,” said a press statement issued by the Libyan Parliament Monday.  

Spokesperson for the Libyan House of Representatives Abdullah Bleihaq said that Egyptian Parliament's approval on sending troops to Libya came in response to a request made by the Libyan tribal leaders, calling on the Egyptian army to intervene to address all threats to national security of both Libya and Egypt.

In a press statement Monday, Bleihaq added that the Egyptian Parliament's decision came in response to the Libyans’ calls to “address external Turkish ambitions in Libya that support terrorism, extremism and outlaw militias, violating UN Security Council resolutions and international decisions to ban the supply of weapons to Libya.”

The Egyptian Parliament convened in a closed session Monday, few days after President Sisi met with sheikhs, notables, and mayors of the Libyan tribes, and His Excellency Speaker of the House of Representatives Aquila Saleh made a speech at the Egyptian Parliament. 

“The decision of the Egyptian Parliament came in support of our brothers in Libya in order to move forward to protect the security of Libya, Egypt and the region against the Turkish colonial ambitions that aim to plunder the region’s wealth and to sow chaos, ruin and instability,” read the statement.

It further added that Egypt’s intervention will “contribute to achieving security and stability, and thwarting the militia and chaos supported by Turkey and others.”

“Egypt has been and will always be the beating heart of the Arab world,” added the statement.