Erdogan Hosts Libya PM As Turkey Looks to Lock in Gains

By Staff, Agencies

Head of Libya’s Government of National Accord [GNA] Fayez al-Serraj will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey Thursday as the allies seek to lock in recent gains on the battlefield near Tripoli ahead of a new round of talks on a potential ceasefire.

Turkey began providing military support to al-Serraj's government in November after signing a military cooperation pact alongside a maritime demarcation deal, which gives Ankara exploration rights in the Mediterranean that Greece and others reject.

In recent months, Turkish support in the conflict has pushed back Khalifa Haftar's eastern-based Libyan National Army [LNA] - backed by the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Egypt - which had been attacking the GNA in Tripoli since April 2019.

The Turkish Presidency said Erdogan and Serraj were due to meet in Ankara at 1100 GMT.

The meeting comes a day after the GNA - supported by Turkey - recaptured Tripoli's main airport ahead of what appeared to be moves towards talks on a truce, after months of gains to oust the LNA from much of its foothold in the northwest.

The GNA said Thursday it had regained control of Tripoli.

On Monday, the United Nations said both sides had agreed to resume ceasefire talks, warning that weapons and fighters flying into Libya in defiance of an arms embargo threatened a major new escalation.

A senior Turkish official said the airport seizure was critical ahead of potential peace talks, and that Turkey would reject any proposal to divide Libya between warring factions.