Turkey says that foreign mercenaries should leave Libya, but it has an agreement with the Libyan government

Turkey and Germany agree that each one foreign mercenaries in Libya got to leave the country, but Ankara features a bilateral agreement with the Libyan government for its troops to be stationed there, secretary of state Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan that the withdrawal of foreign troops from Libya would be an “important signal” as both leaders vowed to support the new interim government, a German government spokesman said.

Speaking at a press conference together with his German counterpart Heiko Maas in Berlin, Cavusoglu said Turkish troops in Libya were there under agreement with Libya’s previous Government of National Accord and will not be confused with the foreign mercenaries stationed there.