Türkiye Says it Seeks to ‘Build Good Relations’ with Various Libyan Parties

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received the Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, and the Vice Presidential Council, Abdullah Al-Lafi, in August (Photo: Libyan Parliament)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received the Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, and the Vice Presidential Council, Abdullah Al-Lafi, in August (Photo: Libyan Parliament)
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Türkiye Says it Seeks to ‘Build Good Relations’ with Various Libyan Parties

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received the Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, and the Vice Presidential Council, Abdullah Al-Lafi, in August (Photo: Libyan Parliament)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received the Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, and the Vice Presidential Council, Abdullah Al-Lafi, in August (Photo: Libyan Parliament)

Türkiye has expressed willingness to build good relations with all Libyan parties, revealing its intention to send a parliamentary delegation to visit Tripoli and the east of the country.

Turkish Foreign Minister Melvut Cavusoglu said that his country sought to establish relations with various parties in Libya out of its keenness to achieve security and stability.

In press statements on Wednesday, he said: “Those, who were criticizing Türkiye’s presence in Libya have today praised the effective role it plays in this country, and started saying that Türkiye is a guarantor of security and stability there.”

Cavusoglu added that international relations were constantly changing, noting that Turkish foreign policy “adapts to changing circumstances, in line with its national interests.”

Ankara has been recently seeking to achieve a balance in its policy between western and eastern Libya, but adheres to supporting the Interim Government of National Unity, headed by Abdel Hamid Dbeibeh, against the Fathi Bashagha government.

Türkiye sought to bring the two sides together in a meeting last March, and hosted separate talks with Turkish officials earlier this month.

While Dbeibeh has publicly met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, along with the defense and foreign ministers, and the Turkish intelligence chief, Bashagha and Ankara have not disclosed the level of the meetings recently held in Libya.

During his meeting with Dbeibeh, Erdogan stressed the need to preserve the security and safety of the Libyan capital from any military attempts or attacks. He added that change could only happen through elections.

Dbeibeh, for his part, said that the Turkish side underlined the need to hold elections under the supervision of his government, after which power would be handed over to the elected party.

He also noted that his meetings with Turkish officials focused on political, economic and military affairs.

On the other hand, Bashagha described his meetings with Turkish officials as positive. He pointed to the need to cooperate with all internal political bodies and forces, and with UN Envoy Abdullah Batali, to help the Libyan government carry out its tasks.

The visits of Bashagha and Dbeibeh to Turkey came after days of bloody clashes in Tripoli between forces affiliated with the unity government and others loyal to the Bashagha government, which resulted in the killing of 32 people, including civilians.

Reports said that the Turkish drones supplied to the Dbeibeh government had turned the clashes in the latter’s favor.



UN Human Rights Office Concerned About Israeli Strikes on Civilians in Lebanon 

Smoke rises above south Lebanon following an Israeli strike amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Israel's border with Lebanon in northern Israel, May 5, 2024. (Reuters) 
Smoke rises above south Lebanon following an Israeli strike amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Israel's border with Lebanon in northern Israel, May 5, 2024. (Reuters) 
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UN Human Rights Office Concerned About Israeli Strikes on Civilians in Lebanon 

Smoke rises above south Lebanon following an Israeli strike amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Israel's border with Lebanon in northern Israel, May 5, 2024. (Reuters) 
Smoke rises above south Lebanon following an Israeli strike amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Israel's border with Lebanon in northern Israel, May 5, 2024. (Reuters) 

The United Nations human rights office is concerned about the protection of civilians in Lebanon as Israeli military operations have continued to kill civilians since the ceasefire.

"Israeli military operations in Lebanon continue to kill and injure civilians, and destroy civilian infrastructure, raising concerns regarding the protection of civilians," the spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the High Commissioner of Human Rights, Thameen Al-Kheetan, told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday.

At least 71 civilians - including 14 women and nine children - have been killed by Israeli forces in Lebanon, since the ceasefire came into effect on 27 November last year, and 92,000 are still displaced, according to OHCHR.

"We are calling for investigations into all allegations of violations...Each and every military action where civilians are killed must be investigated," Al-Kheetan said.

"The ceasefire must hold and any escalation is a risk for stability in general in Lebanon, Israel and the whole region," he added.