Libya's Sarraj Holds Talks with Turkish President in Istanbul

On Saturday, Libya's Prime Minister of the Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj held a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul's Wahid al-Din Palace.

During the meeting, Sarraj and Erdogan discussed the developments of the situation in Libya and the bilateral relations between the two countries.

The duo also stressed the need to reach a political solution to end the Libyan crisis within the framework of the United Nations resolutions and the outcomes of the Berlin Conference.

During the meeting, they also reviewed the implementation of the two memoranda of understanding signed between the two sides last November on security cooperation and demarcating maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea.

On the other hand, the talks dealt with all possible ways aims to enhance the economic cooperation, the return of Turkish companies to resume their operation in Libya, and mechanisms of cooperation in all available investment opportunities in the two countries.

They also discussed the efforts made to curb the coronavirus outbreak, stressing the importance of continuing coordination between the two countries, especially in dealing with the repercussions of the current pandemic.

Turkish interference in Libya

This meeting comes at a time when Libya is witnessing an escalation of the internal conflict that has continued since 2011 amid increasing tension between the external parties involved in the Libyan crisis.

With the Government of National Accord achieving a series with field victories and its preparations to launch an attack to regain control of the city of Sirte, the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, announced the possibility of Egypt’s military intervention in Libya amid the strengthening of the Turkish presence in the country.