Erdoğan urges Libya's Haftar to end aggressive stance

Ahead of Libya conference in Berlin, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that Berlin conference should ensure a cease-fire and political dialogue for Libyan peace.

“It should be ensured that a cease-fire and return to political process are agreed at the Berlin summit in order for Libya to attain peace and calm,” Erdogan said in Berlin during the televised part of the meeting with Putin.

Erdogan also said: “[Gen. Khalifa] Haftar's aggressive attitudes must end to implement the phase of political process and solution [in Libya].”

“Joint efforts on Libya provided relative calm in field but our initiatives will reap fruits with Berlin conference,” he said, hopeful of summit.

Putin, for his part, said Russia and Turkey set an example in finding a common ground.

He praised the efforts of the two countries on establishment of the cease-fire in Libya, saying Russia and Turkey took a good step, and called the warring sides to the truce.

“The sides heard the call, the full-scale combat activities have been scaled down,” Putin said.

The Moscow meeting on Monday could not solve everything, he said, as one side didn’t join the agreement so far, but it is necessary to move forward.

Libya’s internationally recognized government in Tripoli had been under attack by the warlord Khalifa Haftar since April last year, and fighting over the last nine months killed more than 1,000 people.

On Jan. 12, the warring sides of the Libyan conflict announced a cease-fire in response to a joint call by Turkish and Russian leaders.

But talks for a permanent cease-fire deal ended without an agreement on Monday after Haftar left Moscow without signing the deal.

In the wake of Moscow talks, Germany invited world powers and regional actors to a peace conference in Berlin on Sunday in a bid to thrash out a lasting cease-fire deal and pave the way for a political solution in Libya.