OREANDA-NEWS. The Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA), located in the city of Tripoli which is surrounded by the troops of Khalifa Haftar, has accepted Turkey’s offer of military assistance.

This was reported by Al-Arabiya channel. The Government, led by Fayez al-Sarraj, has not yet officially commented on this information. “The Government of National Accord recognized by UN has accepted the offer of Turkey to provide it with military and logistical assistance, as it is trying to repel an offensive of the forces loyal to General Haftar," the channel stated.

On December 18, the GNA Foreign Minister Mohammed Siala told to RIA Novosti news agency that Tripoli had not yet asked Ankara for military assistance, and that it was awaiting ratification by the Turkish parliament of an agreement on military cooperation.

At the end of November, Turkish President Recep Erdogan and Fayez al-Sarraj signed memoranda of cooperation in the military sphere and of maritime zones. Greece, Egypt and the House of Representatives (parliament) located in eastern Libya called the Turkish-Libyan memoranda illegal and invalid.

An agreement between Ankara and the GNA, which provides for the possibility of sending Turkish troops to Libya, should be submitted to a vote in the Turkish parliament.

Haftar, who previously collaborated with the eastern Libyan authorities, announced the start of a decisive battle and advance to the center of Tripoli. Al-Sarraj said that information about the attack of Haftar in the capital is not true. However, Libyan media reported about clashes between Haftar’s troops and GNA forces in a number of areas near Tripoli.