Erdogan meets head of UN-recognized Libyan government
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Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj in Istanbul on Sunday, just days after Khalifa Haftar, a military strongman in eastern Libya, announced a “decisive battle” to wrest the capital of Tripoli from Sarraj’s government, France 24 reports.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received the head of Libya’s U.N.-recognized government in Istanbul, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Jan. 12
Hurriyet reports that the closed-door meeting between Erdoğan and Fayez al-Sarraj lasted two hours and was held at the Dolmabahçe Palace. The U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli and forces loyal to Libya’s renegade Gen. Khalifa Haftar accepted a joint call by Turkey and Russia for a cease-fire on Jan. 11.
Ci Consulta Insight on Malta Perspective –
The situation in Libya remains very fluid, and much will depend on whether larger powers seek to invest more resources and manpower into their proxies in this conflict. With the deployment of Turkish troops, the situation can take a turn, as other powers will consider it an escalation.
Malta’s ties to Libya, particularly among local business persons are well-known. This is a situation we are monitoring closely. At this stage, there does not appear to be an imminent threat to Malta or its interests, however, that may not be the case for the entirety of 2020.
