Maitika airport .. the history of "exploitation" from the Italians to the Turks
What do you know about Maitika airport
The Maitika airport is an international air port in the Libyan West, as it was built in 1923 by the Italian Air Force, during the Italian occupation of Libya, to be known then as the Air Navigation Base.
Beginning in January 1943, the place is at the disposal of the US Air Force, which has been renamed the Welsh Military Base.
In 1995, that base began to be used as a civilian airport, under its current name: Mitika International Airport.
During the movement that toppled the Qaddafi regime in 2011, the airport fell into the hands of militias led by a person named Abd al-Raouf Qara.
In December 2018, the Ministry of Interior of the Al-Wefaq government announced that the Central Security Agency had received security at Maitika airport, so that the important air outlet would become an important basis for the suspicious operations of the Tripoli militias.
Indeed, it has become a military zone for smuggling weapons, drones and mercenaries from Turkey on unregistered flights, according to several reports.
In light of this reality, Maitika Airport has become a legitimate target for the operations of the Libyan National Army.
In recent years, it has been repeatedly suspended navigation at the airport, due to clashes taking place in its vicinity or as a result of missiles falling near it, until matters reached today, the Libyan National Army announced the activation of the air embargo decision on the airport and its air base.