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Tripoli, 20 May:
Libya and Turkey have signed an agreement under which the Turkish army is to provide technical assistance to the . . .[restrict]Libyan military to help secure the land, sea and air borders as well as the oil installations in the eastern part of the country.
The Benghazi-based newpaper, Corina, said its website on Saturday that the agreement followed a visit a Turkish delegation to the eastern town Derna and that the deal included the installation of integrated cameras and electronic surveillance equipment, maintenance and repair of airports as well as the construction of some new one in the Libyan interior.
The newspaper stated also that the agreement between the Libyan and Turkish Defence Ministries included the establishment of border observation posts, the renovation of some ports and to supply the units of revolutionaries who have joined the state security services with equipment including coastguard boats. The agreement is also said to make provision for the short training courses for those former revolutionaries in the east of the country who have recently joined the Libyan army and police. It is joped in order to qualify them and thus hopes to have the eastern region a model that can be applied to all other Libyan cities.
The newspaper quoted the Libyan Defense Ministry Undersecretary, Colonel Hussein Shokri, saying that under the agreement the Turkish army would assist the Libyan army in securing borders and strategic locations as well as provide the latest technology to help prevent smuggling and border infiltration.
Shokri confirmed that a joint committee had been formed to implement the agreement. As part of it, a number of former revolutionaries as well as regular soldiers would be sent within days for training at military colleges in Turkey.
The newspaper also quoted Libyan Director of Relations and International Cooperation Brigadier General Hamad Muftah Shelwi saying that an agreement had also been made with Turkey for the supply of unmanned aircraft to control the Libyan borders and as well as patrol boats to deal with illegal immigration issue, smuggling and other clandestine activities.
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