Tripoli

Russia has not sent military personnel to Libya and the Russian upper house of parliament has not received a request to approve such a dispatch, Interfax on May 27 cited Vladimir Dzhabarov, first deputy head of the upper house's international affairs committee, as saying.

Russia recently sent fighter jets to Libya to support Russian mercenaries fighting for strongman Khalifa Haftar in the long-running conflict, the U.S. military said on May 26.    

Forces backing Libya's U.N.-recognised government said on May 25 that hundreds of Russian mercenaries fighting for rival military commander Khalifa Haftar had been evacuated from combat zones south of the capital Tripoli.    

Hundreds of Russian mercenaries fighting for Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar against the internationally recognized government were evacuated from combat zones south of the capital Tripoli, according to various reports.

The reports come after a series of setbacks for Haftar's year-long offensive to seize the capital from the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA).

Athens on Friday remained on increased diplomatic alert following recent developments in Libya where Turkey appears to be consolidating its presence and taking on a kingmaker role after halting Khalifa Haftar's forces which are waging a battle in the west of the country against the Tripoli-based government.

Senior Turkish and American officials have discussed attacks by the General Khalifa Haftar forces that have been escalating recently against the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli, Ankara said in a statement.

Concerns are mounting in Athens as Ankara continued to raise the stakes on Thursday with a series of overflights by Turkish jets above several large eastern Aegean islands, while two Turkish Coast Guard vessels harassed a Frontex boat patrolling the sea border area and a Greek fishing boat. 

Hundreds of terrorists in Syria and northern Iraq have been neutralized as part of Turkey's cross-border counter-terrorism operations since the start of 2020, the Turkish defense minister said on May 20. 
"Our fight against terror in Syria and northern Iraq continues without pause- 1,411 terrorists have been neutralized since Jan. 1," Hulusi Akar said.

The spokesman for Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar's forces announced early on May 20 that as of midnight they would be withdrawing 2-3 kilometers (around 1.8 miles) from fronts south of Tripoli. 

Ahmed Al-Mismari said on social media they will be pulling back so people in the capital can celebrate the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on late May 15 demoted the Chief of Staff of the Turkish Navy Rear Admiral Cihat Yaycı, who is known as the architect of Ankara's naval policy regarding Libya.
Daily Hürriyet columnist Nedim Şener said on May 18 that Yaycı resigned after he was assigned to the Turkish General Staff last week.