The truce in Libya provides an opportunity for political settlement, Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan said.
An international conference on Libya was held in Berlin on Sunday with the participation of Russia, the U.S., Turkey, Egypt and other countries, as well as the EU, the UN. Prime Minister of the Government of National Accord (GNC) Fayez Sarrage and Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Khalifa Haftar were also at the summit, although direct negotiations between them again failed. Acting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the final document of the Berlin conference on Libya contains provisions for a sustainable ceasefire.
“We took part in the summit in Berlin as part of our efforts for political settlement in Libiya. We adopted a 55-point declaration. There is a road map under UN auspices. If the ceasefire, which we call for together with Mr. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, is respected, an opportunity for the political process will be opened”, – Erdogan told Turkish journalists on returning from the conference on Libya in Berlin. The Hurriyet newspaper quoted him as saying.
After the overthrow and assassination of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya actually ceased to function as one state. It is now a dual power country. In the east, a parliament elected by the people sits, while in the west, in the capital, Tripoli, the Government of National Accord, formed with the support of the UN and the European Union, rules. The authorities in the eastern part of the country operate independently of Tripoli and cooperate with the Libyan National Army, Marshal Haftar.