Macron says Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan wants foreign mercenaries from Libya

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that he had received assurances from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan that he wanted foreign mercenaries to leave Libyan territory as soon as possible, Reuters reported.

“We have agreed to work on the withdrawal of these (foreign mercenaries). It does not depend on the two of us alone. But I can tell you that during our meeting, President Erdogan reiterated his desire to operate foreign mercenaries, foreign militias, in Libyan lands. will be vacated as soon as possible,” Macron said at a news conference at the end of a NATO summit in Brussels.

Macron has spoken to Erdogan after more than a year when tensions between the two NATO allies have escalated, especially over the conflict in Libya.

Turkey has deployed troops in Libya to help repel incursion forces from eastern Libya under a military cooperation agreement signed with the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli. He also sent thousands of Syrian fighters to Libya.