On 17 August, Chief of Staff Mohammed al-Haddad met in Istanbul with Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar, where the two sides discussed bilateral cooperation and regional issues of mutual concern. During the meeting, Akar reportedly said that Turkish military forces in Libya were not foreign forces and that they would remain in Libya, and that Ankara would continue to support ‘Libya for Libyans’. The two men met on the side of the International Defence Industry Fair.
