Expert: France supporting Haftar in Libya is 'mistake'

PARIS

A Paris-based geopolitics expert and writer said in an exclusive interview Tuesday that France's support for Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar was "a mistake" and isolated the European country.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Charles Saint-Prot, director of the Observatoire d'etudes geopolitiques (Observatory of geopolitical studies), said Haftar was a "dangerous person" with "no point" in aiding him.

Saint-Prot criticized and urged the French leadership to drop their support for Haftar, who he said was now inconsequential in Libya as he was "out of play," and only back the internationally recognized government and its prime minister, Fayez al-Sarraj.

"France, who says it is committed to human rights, should consider the mass graves [left by Haftar] in Libya," Saint-Prot said, adding that by systematically rejecting" multiple political solutions, Haftar had intensified the crisis in the war-torn country.

"This is not how politics are done. France is now [also] out of play. It doesn't want to be, but it is going down the wrong path.

"France has declared Turkey its main adversary. This is a mistake," he said.

Saint-Prot underlined that Haftar's other backers besides France -- Russia and the United Arab Emirates -- had less reason to be in Libya than did Turkey, which supports the Tripoli-based government.

"Russia and the UAE are not local powers. Whether we like it or not, Turkey is a local power in the Mediterranean."

"Turkey should not be targeted," he said, urging Paris to return to its long-time policy of friendship towards Ankara.