Turkey has evacuated 82 of its citizens from Libya’s capital, Tripoli, following days of violent clashes between armed groups.
Foreign ministry sources confirmed late Friday that those wishing to return home were assisted in their departure amid rising insecurity.
The evacuation followed an announcement by the Turkish embassy, which arranged a Turkish Airlines flight from the Libyan port city of Misrata to Istanbul.
Misrata, located about 200 kilometres east of Tripoli, served as the evacuation point, with bus transport organised to bring evacuees from the capital.
Details about the evacuees were not disclosed, and officials did not confirm if additional flights were planned.
The clashes erupted late Monday between government loyalists and powerful armed factions the administration aims to dismantle.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya reported that at least eight civilians were killed during the violent confrontations.
Heavy fighting forced air traffic to nearly grind to a halt, deepening the city’s crisis and uncertainty.
While calm briefly returned to Tripoli on Friday, authorities warned the situation remained fragile and volatile.
Turkey, a supporter of Libya’s UN-recognised government led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, called for a truce midweek.
The country remains divided between Dbeibah’s western government and a rival eastern authority backed by Khalifa Haftar.
Libya continues to struggle to recover from years of unrest since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime leader Moamer Kadhafi.
The evacuation underscores the escalating instability in Libya’s capital, threatening the fragile peace process.
