Turkey says foreign intervention in Libya may not be beneficial

A possible NATO operation in Libya could be counterproductive as it could undermine the Libyan people’s support for a revolt against the Northern African country’s long-time leader, Muammar Gaddafi, a senior Turkish official has said.

“We need to be extra cautious on this,” Selim Yenel, deputy undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry, told a panel discussion in Washington on Wednesday. “The people of Egypt and Tunisia can take pride in the fact that the change in their countries was thanks to them. Any outside intervention in Libya, on the other hand, could prevent the Libyan people from having the same pride,” Yenel said.