Turkey has closed its embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Monday following weekend attacks on British and Italian diplomatic missions. “Due to the change in the security situation in Libya and the great security risk it poses… our embassy has stopped functioning temporarily and has been evacuated,” Davutoglu told reporters.
The decision to close the mission was made late Sunday, he said, adding that the ambassador and his staff had already arrived in Tunisia. “Of course, this does not mean that Turkey will halt its efforts” to resolve the turmoil in Libya, Davutoglu said.
Demonstrators Sunday torched British and Italian diplomatic buildings in Tripoli after Libya accused NATO of trying to assassinate Moamer Gaddafi in an attack that killed one of his sons and three young grandchildren. Preparations were under way Monday for the funerals. NATO vowed more strikes, although the operation commander stated “we do not target individuals.”
