Since August, Germany has been participating with the frigate Hamburg in the EU mission Irini, which was set up to enforce the UN oil and arms embargo against Libya.
The Germans were on board all night and opened many containers. By the time the military had left the freighter, they had found nothing suspicious, a German defense spokesman said.
According to him, the frigate had followed the standard procedure by waiting four hours for permission before proceeding to check. “All procedures have been followed correctly.” According to Turkey, the Rosaline A transports food and paint, among other things, and the German team has violated international law by not waiting for Turkish permission.
Protest
“I strongly condemn this illegal intervention,” said Vice President Fuat Oktay. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara has summoned the ambassadors of Germany, the EU and Italy to make an official protest.
The incident happened about 200 kilometers north of the Libyan city of Benghazi. Ankara has previously had a conflict with France over arms control at sea.
Turkey supports the internationally recognized government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj in the capital Tripoli. The most important party from the east is warlord Khalifa Haftar who controls large parts of the country.
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