Turkey has evacuated 82 of its nationals from Tripoli, Libya, following several days of deadly clashes between armed groups, according to sources from the Turkish foreign ministry. The evacuation was prompted by the ongoing conflict and insecurity in the Libyan capital.
The evacuees were assisted in their departure from Libya and returned to Turkey. This move came a day after the Turkish embassy in Libya announced preparations to evacuate its citizens via a Turkish Airlines flight from the port city of Misrata, located about 200 kilometers (125 miles) east of Tripoli. The embassy said it would provide bus transportation from the capital to the airport.
Details about the identities of those evacuated were not disclosed, and the ministry did not indicate whether additional evacuation flights would be arranged.
The violence erupted on Monday in Tripoli between forces loyal to the government and powerful armed groups that the government is attempting to dismantle. According to the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), at least eight civilians were killed in the heavy clashes, which led to a significant disruption of air traffic. While relative calm returned to Tripoli on Friday, the situation remained volatile.
Turkey, which supports the UN-recognized government of Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, called for a ceasefire on Wednesday and expressed concern over the escalating violence.
Libya has been grappling with instability since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The country remains divided between Dbeibah’s western government and a rival authority in the east, led by military commander Khalifa Haftar.
