Turkey's Foreign Minister Recognizes Libyan Rebels

By Alex Johnston
Jul 3, 2011

Turkey’s foreign ministry officially recognized Libya’s rebels as the real representatives of the country on Sunday.

The ministry also offered to lend the rebels at least $200 million in aid to help in their battle against forces loyal to veteran leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that now is the time for Gadhafi, who has ruled the country for more than 40 years, to step down from power and end the three-month-long war against the rebels.

“From the very beginning, we have stated that [Gadhafi] should step down and that a person who could be named by the consent of everyone in Libya should take over the administration so that peace and stability could be restored,” Davutoglu said on Sunday.

At the outset of the now-protracted conflict among Libya government forces and rebels, Turkish officials expressed concern for the NATO airstrikes in the country and wanted to maintain business ties with Gadhafi’s regime. Over the past several months, Turkey’s stance has changed.

Davutoglu met with the head of the rebel-backed Transitional National Council on Sunday in Benghazi and said he would pledge $200 million to the rebels, according to Al Jazeera television.

Turkey also said it officially withdrew its ambassador from Tripoli. Salim Levent Sahinkaya left the country several months ago and Turkey said that it will not replace him in the interim.

Source: The Epoch Times.
Link: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/turkeys-foreign-minister-recognizes-libyan-rebels-58594.html.