Top Libyan envoy in Turkey denies he is recalled

Libyan Ambassador to Turkey Abdul Razzaq Mukhtar denied claims on Sept. 3 that he had been recalled over a diplomatic spat about the location of his country’s Parliament.

Al Arabiya News Channel claimed that Libya’s Parliament recalled the country’s ambassador to Turkey over recent comments by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. On Aug. 31, Libya’s Foreign Ministry denounced Erdoğan’s statements, in which he criticized the convening of the Parliament in Tobruk as “unacceptable,” calling the remarks “interference” in Libya’s domestic affairs.

Mukhtar told Anadolu Agency that claims of him being recalled were untrue. “People making up such stories are trying to weaken relations between our countries,” said the ambassador. “Relations between the two countries are at the best level and will continue to be so.”

The envoy also said relations between Libya and Turkey were positively reflected in the significant number of Libyans who are being treated in Turkish hospitals, while Libyan students also continue to come to Turkey for education.