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.
