ISTANBUL // Turkey, the only Muslim member of Nato, has warned its western allies to tread carefully when considering a no-fly zone in Libya.
As Nato defence ministers prepared for a meeting in Brussels starting today to discuss Libya, Turkish officials said a mandate by the United Nations for an intervention is an essential precondition.
And even if a UN mandate could be obtained, which is uncertain because of reservations by China and Russia, the western alliance would be confronted with many challenges, the Turks said. Turkey's position matters because Nato decisions must be approved by all 28 member states.
"We do not want Nato to intervene because the situation is not clear at all," a senior Turkish diplomat said in an e-mail. "What would happen if Nato forces are fired upon, captured et cetera. Will it send ground forces?" he asked.
"There are so many questions, unknowns and the situation is so tricky. Who in the opposition will Nato support?" the envoy went on.
The comments by the diplomat, who insisted on anonymity, reflected scepticism in Turkish government circles regarding a role for Western forces in Libya. Last week Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, put it more bluntly: "What business does Nato have in Libya anyway?" he asked.
The Nato ministers will consider a British-French call for a no-fly zone which could go before the UN Security Council as early as this week.
Nato began 24-hour air surveillance of Libya on Monday, and US diplomats have said Nato planners are looking at various options, including a no-fly zone. An emergency summit of EU leaders on Friday will also deal with Libya and a possible role the international community could play.
The Turkish diplomat stressed that Ankara was ready to consider options aimed at easing the suffering of civilians in Libya. But the no-fly zone is out of the question for Turkey at present.
The fact that the Gulf states support a no-fly zone does not change that, the diplomat wrote.
Ankara's position carries the risk of deepening suspicions in the US and Europe that Turkey may be turning away from the West under Mr Erdogan's religiously conservative government. Last year, Turkey shocked its allies by opposing a fresh round of sanctions against Iran in the UN Security Council.
Turkey insists that it agrees with its Western partners that Col Muammar Qaddafi will have to go. But it is concerned that intervention would allow the Qaddafi regime to portray the Libyan opposition as Western pawns.
As if to confirm Turkey's concerns, Colonel Qaddafi used an interview with TRT, Turkey's state-run television station, to welcome the prospect of a no-fly zone.
He said Libyans would be outraged by foreign planes controlling the nation's air space.
"Libyans would see their real aims - to bring Libya under their control, to take away their freedom, to steal their oil. That way, all of the Libyan people would take up arms and fight," Colonel Qaddafi said.
Turkey's warnings are not only rooted in fears about handing Colonel Qaddafi a propaganda tool. With the highly unpopular US-led war in Iraq still fresh in the minds of Turks, Mr Erdogan also echoed the mistrust felt by many people in the region towards the West.
Suggestions about how to handle Libya should be made only to support democracy and human rights, the Turkish prime minister said last week. No one should "make his calculations based on those countries' oil wells."
Turkey is also reluctant to support demands for sanctions against Libya. "All sanctions and interventions that amount to a punishment of the Libyan people could trigger big and unacceptable problems," Mr Erdogan said.
Sanctions could hit Turkish economic interests in Libya. In recent years, Turkish companies have thrived there, raking in contracts worth about US$27 billion (Dh99bn), especially in the construction sector, according to Zafer Caglayan, the trade minister.
Mr Caglayan has said that Turkish companies had "paused" their activities in Libya but would resume them as soon as the situation returned to normal.
The high number of Turkish workers in Libya - about 25,000 - is another reason Turkey has been less enthusiastic about intervention.
tseibert@thenational.ae
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
The%20specs
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What is a rare disease?
A rare disease is classified as one that affects a small percentage of the population. More than 7,000 diseases are identified as rare and most are genetic in origin. More than 75 per cent of rare genetic diseases affect children.
Collectively rare diseases affect 1 in 17 people, or more than 400 million people worldwide. Very few have any available treatment and most patients struggle with numerous health challenges and life-long ailments that can go undiagnosed for years due to lack of awareness or testing.
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
if you go
The flights
Flydubai offers three daily direct flights to Sarajevo and, from June, a daily flight from Thessaloniki from Dubai. A return flight costs from Dhs1,905 including taxes.
The trip
The Travel Scientists are the organisers of the Balkan Ride and several other rallies around the world. The 2018 running of this particular adventure will take place from August 3-11, once again starting in Sarajevo and ending a week later in Thessaloniki. If you’re driving your own vehicle, then entry start from €880 (Dhs 3,900) per person including all accommodation along the route. Contact the Travel Scientists if you wish to hire one of their vehicles.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Syria squad
Goalkeepers: Ibrahim Alma, Mahmoud Al Youssef, Ahmad Madania.
Defenders: Ahmad Al Salih, Moayad Ajan, Jehad Al Baour, Omar Midani, Amro Jenyat, Hussein Jwayed, Nadim Sabagh, Abdul Malek Anezan.
Midfielders: Mahmoud Al Mawas, Mohammed Osman, Osama Omari, Tamer Haj Mohamad, Ahmad Ashkar, Youssef Kalfa, Zaher Midani, Khaled Al Mobayed, Fahd Youssef.
Forwards: Omar Khribin, Omar Al Somah, Mardik Mardikian.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Honeymoonish
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
