Top Turkish, Libyan officials discuss mutual issues

Turkey’s foreign and defense ministers on Friday met separately with Khaled al-Mishri, the head of Libya's High Council of State.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, in a statement, said the two discussed Turkish cooperation with "brotherly" Libya, which he said grows stronger every day.

Saying both countries are determined to speed up joint economic and commercial projects, he added that Turkey will continue to support the political process in Libya.

In a separate statement, Turkey’s National Defense Ministry said Hulusi Akar discussed the latest developments in Libya with Al-Mishri.

In November 2019, Turkey and Libya signed pacts on security cooperation and maritime boundaries.

Last Friday, Libya announced a cease-fire and ordered the military to stop all combat operations, specifying that the areas of Sirte and al-Jufra must be demilitarized, and calling for elections next March.

On Thursday, the Libyan army said militias loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar had violated the cease-fire.

Following the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya's new government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led political deal.

Libya's internationally recognized government has been under attack by warlord Haftar's forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.

With Turkish support, Libya’s government has recently turned the tide against the forces of Haftar, while stressing that there is no military solution for Libya.