Defense Minister Hulusi Akar reiterated Turkey’s determination to support Libya’s territorial integrity and stability after holding a meeting with Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah Monday.
Akar met with Dbeibah, who came to Ankara to hold official talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
He highlighted that Turkey aims to support Libya’s efforts to ensure peace, stability and political unity.
Akar also noted that Ankara would continue to provide military and security training and consultation for a stable, independent and sovereign Libya.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed Dbeibah with an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara.
Selected through a United Nations-led process, Libya’s new unity government, the Government of National Unity (GNU), was sworn in on March 15 from two rival political groups that had ruled eastern and western regions, completing a smooth transition of power after a decade of violent chaos.
Dbeibah will lead Libya to the Dec. 24 elections.
Ankara welcomed the appointment of the new government and vowed it would continue to provide all manner of support to ensure security, peace and prosperity in the North African nation.
Turkey had backed the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) against the eastern-based forces of putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar, which was supported by Russia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and France.
Libyans hope that the new process would end years of civil war that have engulfed the country since the ousting and killing of strongman Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.
