The commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, vowed to drive out Turkish troops from Libya by force, if they do not leave by peaceful means.

In a speech he delivered on the occasion of the celebration of the 69th anniversary of Libya’s independence, Haftar said that “independence is meaningless as long as the Turkish Army occupies parts of our country,” calling Ankara to withdraw its forces.

“The era of your colonial illusions is over and you have to choose whether to leave peacefully or by force,” the Libyan LNA commander added in his speech, addressing Turkey and its mercenaries.

He noted that Turkey and its militias are continuing to mobilise for war.

If they “fire the first bullet in this war, then they should prepare themselves for certain death,” Haftar warned.

Haftar’s statements came after the Turkish parliament approved a bill to extend the presence of Turkish forces in Libya for an 18-month period, in a move that revealed Ankara’s desire to thwart the ongoing efforts to achieve peace in Libya.

“The occupying Turkish forces have no choice but to leave peacefully, voluntarily or by force of arms,” Haftar threatened.

He stressed that “a decisive confrontation is looming, especially after military manoeuvres and mobilisation by Turkey’s mercenaries and their recruits near contact lines.”

Haftar also pointed to the ongoing stockpiling of weapons and equipment and the construction of bases and military operations rooms.

“Turkey continues to mobilise near the front lines and insists on war to achieve its ambitions to control our wealth and resources,” he said.

The LNA has recently monitored militia movements to attack Sirte and Jufrah and warned against taking any escalatory and provocative moves in the region.

Video clips, released by the LNA, documented the military mobilisation around the ceasefire line.

Haftar stressed that the LNA responded positively to the calls of the international community for a ceasefire, hoping that the world would respect the will of the Libyan people and stop the aggression against Libya.

He said “the aggressor” has been arrogant and adamant in its support of terrorism by deploying mercenaries and sending weapons in what amounts to a declaration of war against Libyans and in utter defiance of the international community.

Turkey continues to undermine international decisions by sending mercenaries to Libya and mobilising its elements there in an attempt to provoke the LNA and drag it into a new confrontation that would eventually undermine peace efforts.