President Erdoğan called for an urgent cease-fire in Gaza and renewed support for a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders during a trilateral summit in Istanbul with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Libya’s Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, also addressing migration and regional cooperation, the Presidential Communications Directorate said.
The summit focused on cooperation between the three countries and regional issues.
During the meeting, Erdoğan underlined the importance of joint efforts by Türkiye, Italy and Libya in addressing the challenges facing the Mediterranean basin, including irregular migration. He stressed that long-term, sustainable solutions are needed to tackle the root causes of irregular migration, calling for greater multilateral coordination.
It was agreed that cooperation committees would convene first, followed by a leaders’ meeting to review decisions taken.
Highlighting Israel’s genocidal attacks in Gaza and the ongoing humanitarian tragedy, Erdoğan reiterated that the international community bears a major responsibility to ensure an immediate cease-fire and swift delivery of humanitarian aid to the region. He emphasized that a lasting solution can only be achieved through the establishment of an independent, sovereign and geographically contiguous State of Palestine within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
It was decided during the summit that the leaders would meet to discuss the decisions taken following the convening of the cooperation committees, the statement noted.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages.
Libya's Government of National Unity also issued a statement after the summit, stating that the talks addressed regional cooperation, stability, and economic integration in the Mediterranean, emphasizing the importance of supporting joint strategic projects.
The statement noted that economic cooperation opportunities were also discussed at the summit.
It emphasized the importance of connecting Libya to regional projects in the Mediterranean, as well as strengthening partnerships in energy, oil and gas, and infrastructure; investing in ports; developing electricity networks; and supporting joint strategic projects.
Noting Dbeibah's call for increased regional coordination in combating smuggling networks and illegal activities at the summit, the statement said the Libyan premier also urged a quadripartite ministerial meeting consisting of Libya, Türkiye, Italy, and Qatar to initiate joint projects in this regard and to combine efforts on priority issues.
