Erdogan Warns Russian Mercenaries in Libya Paid by Abu Dhabi
- Turkish leader blames ‘desert lord’ Haftar as truce unravels
- Turkey continues to support Libya’s UN-backed government
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lobbed a rare direct rebuke at the rulers of Abu Dhabi over their backing of Khalifa Haftar and the Russian mercenaries fighting on his behalf in Libya.
Erdogan said that the emirate is bankrolling thousands of Russian fighters who support the forces controlled by the Libyan general, whom he derided as a “desert lord.” Turkey has responded to the Russian deployment by providing military support to the internationally recognized government in Tripoli.