Ankara, February 22: Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has called on the Libyan government to respect people’s demands and stop using excessive force against pro-democracy protesters.
“Turkey has displayed its stance clearly since the breakout of protests in Libya: Avoid any violence, respect the demands of the people and at the same time realize political transformation without undermining stability,” Hurriyet Daily News newspaper quoted Davutoglu as saying during a news conference in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, late on Monday.
When asked about reports that Libyan warplanes bombed protesters in the capital Tripoli on Monday, the Turkish foreign minister said, “We cannot sacrifice security for freedom or freedom for security. Libya needs to avoid violence and the loss of lives and to establish public order to prevent such type of clashes and escalation of tension.”
Davutoglu also stressed that the future of Libya must be settled by the Libyans, themselves. He further pointed out that Turkey would show solidarity with the North African nation to create a stable, peaceful and democratic atmosphere.
According to the International Federation for Human Rights, as many as 400 pro-democracy demonstrators have been killed in Libya since people took to the streets in Tripoli, Benghazi, al-Bayda and Tobruk to protest against Muammar Gaddafi’s 42-year authoritarian rule.
Meanwhile, the Libyan 68-year-old embattled ruler, in a brief appearance on state television early on Tuesday, rejected reports he had fled the country and said he was still in Tripoli.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague had earlier said he had received information to suggest Gaddafi was en route to Venezuela in Latin America.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro censured Hague for his “irresponsible” comments.
——–Agencies