İbrahim Kalın, spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said Tuesday that Ankara denied claims that a Turkish ship had been destroyed in the Libyan port of Tripoli by the forces of Gen. Khalifa Haftar, Sputnik International reported.
“The ship was fired at, but there was no hit. Multiple shots were fired in return. I can say that now that the situation has calmed down,” Kalın told reporters.
The statement comes hours after the Libyan National Army (LNA) said in an official statement on Facebook that its forces had destroyed a Turkish vessel carrying weapons and ammunition that was docked at the port of Tripoli. According to the LNA, by delivering the cargo Ankara had violated an international agreement banning arms sales to the country.
In the meantime, vessels at the port were evacuated after the attack, Reuters reported, citing port officials.
Commenting on the claims, the port management said there was no Turkish vessel in the port.
The news comes just a day after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said the LNA was constantly violating the ceasefire and that Haftar “must be stopped.”