BENGHAZI – Turkey has pledged $200 million (€138 million) in aid for Libya’s rebel transitional national council and said it was time for leader Muammar Gadafy to leave Libya.
“Public demand for reforms should be answered, Gadafy should go and Libya shouldn’t be divided,” Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu said during a visit to Benghazi, the rebels’ eastern Libyan stronghold.
The aid is in addition to a $100 million fund for Libyan rebels Turkey announced in June.
Turkey, which had close economic ties with Col Gadafy before a rebellion against his rule broke out five months ago, has called on Col Gadafy to step down. Ankara has called for a ceasefire and says the two sides must reach a political solution.
“I am here to express solidarity with the Libyan people. Their legitimate right should be realised, there should be a permanent solution to the crisis which is possible only through a political solution based on the demands of the Libyan people,” Mr Davutoglu told a news conference.
“We see the TNT [rebel council] as a legitimate representative of the Libyan people to achieve their goals.” Earlier, Libya’s rebel chief in the clearest concession so far, offered Col Gadafy the opportunity to live out his retirement in Libya as long as he gives up power.
Col Gadafy is still holding on to power, five months into a rebellion against his 41-year rule and despite a Nato bombardment and an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him for crimes against humanity.
“As a peaceful solution, we offered that he can resign and order his soldiers to withdraw from their barracks and positions, and then he can decide either to stay in Libya or abroad,” rebel leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil said in an interview.
“If he desires to stay in Libya, we will determine the place and it will be under international supervision. And there will be international supervision of all his movements,” said Mr Jalil, who heads the transitional national council.
The conflict in Libya is close to deadlock, with rebels on three fronts unable to make a decisive advance towards the Libyan capital and growing strains inside Nato about the cost of the operation and the lack of a military breakthrough.
Previous attempts to negotiate a peace deal have foundered, but some analysts say Gadafy’s entourage – if perhaps not the Libyan leader himself – may look for a way out as air strikes and sanctions narrow their options. – (Reuters)