The Turkish Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday it had agreed with Russia that the conflict in Libya cannot be solved with military means, and that it can only be settled through a UN-led political process.
The two countries will continue working together to facilitate the “advancement of the intra-Libyan political dialogue” in line with the 2020 Berlin Conference on Libya and in coordination with the UN, so as to create “conditions for a lasting and sustainable ceasefire.”
They also said they will “consider” creating a Joint Working Group on Libya, and will call on the Libyan parties to take measures for the “safe humanitarian access and delivery of urgent assistance to all those in need.”
Earlier in the week, Turkey’s presidential spokesman, Ibrahim Kalın had said in an interview with CNN International that the country is “absolutely against” the partition of Libya, “whether in reality, or on the map, or politically or geographically.” He also slammed Haftar for wrecking havoc in the country and of trying to take control of Libya “with no legitimacy at all.”
Libya has been torn by conflict since 2011, when the NATO-backed uprising overthrown the longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi. In the war-torn country, the internationally-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj is clashing with the forces of Libya’s National Army (LNA) under General Khalifa Haftar’s command.
Ankara backs the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, with whom the country signed in 2019 two agreements on security and military cooperation and restriction of marine jurisdictions. In June, the Turkish MFA blamed France of deepening the crisis in Libya by supporting the Russia-backed Haftar against the UN-backed GNA.
Macron has been at loggerheads with Erdogan over the situation in Libya, with the two countries accusing each other for the escalation of the conflict in the war-torn country. Paris supports that the country is not taking sides in Libya and accuses Turkey of endangering European security by sending Syrian fighters to Libya.
Ankara’s actions in the Eastern Mediterranean have faced acute criticism by Paris, with French President Emmanuel Macron asking on Thursday for EU sanctions against those who violate Greece’s and Cyprus’ maritime space. Macron’s call was slammed by the Turkish presidential spokesman, who accused the French President of being “aggressive” in Libya and of undermining security in North Africa.
In a joint statement released on Saturday, during the EU27 leaders’ summit, the heads of France, Germany and Italy said they are ready to impose sanctions on foreign actors violating the arms embargo in Libya, and called on all parties to the conflict and the foreign powers that back them, without mentioning a specific country, to put an end on deadly clashes.
