Turkey has questioned the legitimacy, purpose and impartiality of the European Union’s (EU) naval mission (Operation IRINI) off the Libyan coast.
These remarks were made by the spokesman of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Tanju Bilgic, who had expressed Ankara’s rejection of what he described as the illegal ascent by soldiers of a German frigate belonging to Operation IRINI on a merchant ship flying the Turkish flag without the approval of Turkey.
Operation IRINI of the EU announced last Monday on Twitter that Ankara had rejected the request to inspect the ship, which Turkish authorities denied.
