Libya's Premier to Visit Turkey, Hold Talks with Erdogan on Monday

On Sunday, the Turkish Presidency announced that Libya's Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, accompanied by a delegation of ministers, will make his first visit to Turkey tomorrow.

The visit of Dbeibeh to Turkey will be the first one since taking office last month.

Libya’s new unity government was sworn in on March 15 from two warring administrations that had ruled eastern and western regions, completing a smooth transition of power after a decade of violent chaos.

Turkey had backed the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) against the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA).

Turkey’s presidency said Dbeibeh will hold a two-day visit upon President Tayyip Erdogan’s invitation, adding that he and Erdogan would chair the first meeting of the Turkey-Libya High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council in Ankara.

“At the Council Meeting to be held with the participation of relevant ministers, all aspects of Turkey-Libya relations, which have deeply-rooted, historic ties, will be discussed, steps that can be taken to further improve cooperation will be evaluated,” it said.

Turkish state media reported that Dbeibeh would visit Ankara with a team including 14 ministers, five deputy prime ministers, the chief of staff and other officials. It added cooperation on energy and health would be discussed, along with the resumption of projects by Turkish companies that were stopped over the war.

Dbeibeh, selected through a United Nations-led process, has said economic deals between the GNA and Turkey should remain.

Turkey, Egypt and the UAE have each welcomed the appointment of the new government, as have the United States and European Union. However, foreign powers that backed each side have not pulled out fighters or arms.