The forces of the Libyan National Army (LNA) have arrested one of the most dangerous Islamic State (ISIS) jihadists in Tripoli, who arrived in Libya with the help of the Turkish secret service, LNA spokesman General Ahmet al-Mismari said.
"Libyan National Army units in Tripoli have arrested Muhammad ar-Buweidani, one of the most dangerous Islamic State fighters in Syria. He arrived in Libya with the help of the Turkish MIT as the leader of the Feylak al-Sham group," the statement said.
The Turkish MIT, the country's top intelligence agency, has spearheaded the transfer of thousands of jihadists from Syria to Libya to support the Muslim Brotherhood Government of National Accords in Tripoli.
An LNA spokesman said the arrest of ar-Buweidani showed "a link between [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan and the Islamic State and other radical groups."
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The LNA on Thursday released figures on Turkish military intervention in the conflict in Libya, after which it accused Ankara of violating the arms embargo in Libya.
In Libya, there are currently armed clashes between GNA jihadists led by ethnic Turk Fayez al-Sarraj and the Eastern Government led by Abdullah Abdullah al-Thani who appointed Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar to remove the Muslim Brotherhood from power in the country's capital, Tripoli.
Negotiations between Haftar and the Muslim Brotherhood took place on January 13 in Moscow, in which members of the Russian and Turkish Foreign Ministries also attended.
During the meeting, Haftar briefed Russia on the terms of continuing negotiations for the signing of a peace agreement in Libya.
According to his demands, the militias operating in Libya are obliged to hand over weapons during the period, from 45 to 90 days. This process must be monitored by a special committee set up by the LNA together with the UN.
Haftar also refused to recognise Turkey as a mediator in resolving the situation in Libya, as the Turkish side is not neutral and supports the Muslim Brotherhood.
Links between Erdoğan and ISIS are well documented. In 2015, Russia revealed that Erdoğan's son Bilal was purchasing Syrian oil from ISIS, while in 2014 ISIS launched an attack against the Kurdish-held Syrian town of Ayn al-Arab from within Turkish territory.
