Fired After Meeting Israeli Foreign Minister, Libyan Foreign Minister Reportedly Flying to Turkey

Libya's Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush. (Wikimedia Commons/Libyan mofa)

JAKARTA - Najla Mangoush, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Libya who was sacked after previously being demobilized, after reportedly meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, is said to have fled to Turkey.

Sources in the Libyan House of Representatives and Presidential Council confirmed to The National News quoted on August 29, Najla had been removed from office, a day when the country was rocked by protests.

On Sunday, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh ordered the suspension of Mangoush and a travel ban issued against him.

"He has fled to Turkey," said the source from the House of Representatives (DPR), who provided a screenshot of the flight path taken by Mangoush.

"We don't know where the final destination is," he said.

The images purportedly show that Mangoush had made a flight on a Dassault Falcon 900 aircraft operated by the Libyan Government.

"This has become a very big problem. PM Dbeibeh is in a difficult position," said the DPR source.

"There is pressure from all parties against the government, from political actors such as parliament, the Presidential Council, the State Council and also forces on the ground. This concern is no longer only about the foreign minister," he explained.

Meanwhile, the Libyan Internal Security denied Mangoush had passed through Maitiga Airport near Tripoli, either through a "regular, private or presidential airport", adding that "surveillance cameras will show this".

Earlier, protesters set fire to PM Dbeibeh's house on Sunday amid allegations he knew about the meeting.

Separately, speaking to Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency, the Palestinian Ambassador to Libya said PM Dbeibeh had visited the embassy and reaffirmed his support for the Palestinian cause.

Ambassador Mohammad Rahal told Anadolu that PM Dbeibeh confirmed he had sacked Mangoush from her position.

After news of the meeting emerged, the Libyan Foreign Ministry also reaffirmed the country's support for the Palestinian cause "by emphasizing Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Palestine".

The statement also said Mangoush had "refused to hold a meeting with representatives of the Israeli entity", that the meeting in Rome was "unplanned" and "casual".

It is understood Mangoush represents the UN-recognized government based in Tripoli, the first woman to hold the position of foreign minister.