Turkey held talks last week between the eastern and western Libyan governments in Ankara, with the ultimate goal of achieving unity between the two sides. Turkish officials present at the talks stated that no formal agreement has been reached so far.
Details of the Talks
In these talks held in the Turkish capital, military officials from the eastern and western Libyan governments, as well as diplomats, were present. Turkey acted as a mediator between the two sides, and the main focus of the discussions was primarily on military unity, while political unity is expected to be addressed in later stages.
Read more: Turkey Hosts Unity Talks Between Eastern and Western Libya
Since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has faced instability and has been divided into two parts: a UN-recognized government in Tripoli and a rival government in the east backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.
Turkey's and Other Countries' Positions
In recent years, Turkey has strongly supported the government based in Tripoli, but its relations with eastern Libyan officials have significantly improved. In this context, Hakan Fidan, Turkey's Foreign Minister, announced on Friday that the time has come for the rival eastern and western Libyan governments to achieve unity, and a statement regarding this will be issued soon.
Fidan told reporters: "We have now reached a stage where the conditions for achieving permanent unity between eastern and western Libya are suitable." He also added that one of the key components of national unity is how military units currently under the separate control of both sides can come under a single umbrella.
This Turkish official also emphasized that both sides agreed to continue negotiations, and Turkey was introduced as the first option for hosting these talks, although these negotiations may also take place in Libya.
Turkey's involvement in these talks comes as the United States and the United Nations are also seeking unity in this oil-rich country. Libya has the largest oil reserves in Africa.
Analysts say that the approval of a maritime boundary agreement between Libya and Turkey provides more political support for Turkey in overseeing maritime explorations and negotiations.
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