A senior Turkish official who preferred to remain anonymous told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that Türkiye hosted talks between Libya's eastern and western administrations last week with an ultimate goal of reunifying them, confirming media reports about the talks that took place last Friday but adding that no agreement has emerged.
"Discussions have so far focused primarily on military unification, while political unity is expected to be addressed at a later stage," the official said on Wednesday.
The talks, which took place in the capital Ankara, were attended by military officials from Libya's eastern and western administrations as well as diplomats, the source said, adding that Türkiye was acting as a mediator between the two sides.
Beset by instability since the 2011 overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi, Libya is divided between a U.N.-recognized government in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east backed by military commander Gen. Khalifa Haftar.
Türkiye strongly backed the Tripoli-based government during Libya's years of conflict, but ties with eastern authorities have warmed significantly in recent years after a long period of hostility.
Ankara is one of the rare countries involved in Libya that maintains ties with both sides.
On Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the time had come to reunify Libya's rival eastern and western administrations, hinting that an announcement could come soon after he hosted a meeting of top European diplomats and regional powers in Istanbul. "We have now reached a stage where the conditions are ripe to permanently secure the reunification of the east and the west," Fidan told journalists.
"One of the most important pillars of national unification is how the military units currently controlled separately by both sides will be brought together under a single umbrella," he added. "God willing, you will soon hear very good news about this from Türkiye."
Last week, Libya's eastern-based Parliament approved a maritime demarcation deal with Türkiye, years after rejecting it when it was first signed. The vote comes as Washington and the United Nations are also pushing for the reunification of the oil-rich country.
