Turkey is trying Egypt's mettle by designating the rebel-controlled Al-Jufra airbase in Libya as a new military target, a strategic point Cairo has called a “red line” for military intervention, according to a columnist writing for Washington Examiner said on Tuesday. The GNA says it will stop the advance after capturing Jufra and Sirte, a key city on the Mediterranean coast, prompting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to threaten direct military intervention. "The Turkish government is testing Sisi, here, trying to figure out how serious his warnings are," Tom Rogan said. The two countries are squaring up to each other in the eastern Mediterranean after Greece and Egypt signed a maritime deal that Turkey claims violates its territorial rights. "Tensions are rising, and neither Turkey nor Egypt seem willing to back down," Rogan said.

Source: Ethiopian News August 19, 2020 06:56 UTC