Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah hosted Türkiye’s intelligence director Ibrahim Kalın for a meeting in Tripoli, Dbeibah’s Government of National Unity (GNU) said on Facebook late Thursday.
The pair discussed bilateral ties, shared issues and developments in the Middle East, including Israel’s war on Gaza, the GNU statement said.
Kalın and Dbeibah also stressed the need to increase political and security cooperation, support regional stability and protection of civilians, it added.
Kalın also met with Presidency Council aides, GNU officials, ministers and other intelligence officials to discuss current political and military developments.
He reiterated Türkiye’s approach to Libya’s stability and unity and expressed Ankara’s wish for national agreement to Libya’s internal conflicts.
Libya has seen more than a decade of stop-start conflict since a NATO-backed revolt toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, with a myriad of militias forming opposing alliances backed by foreign powers.
The country is currently governed by two rival administrations: the U.N.-recognized GNU led by Dbeibeh in Tripoli, which controls the western part of the country, and the government of Osama Hammad, appointed by the parliament, which operates out of Benghazi and governs the eastern region and parts of the south.
Efforts led by the U.N. to hold parliamentary and presidential elections have repeatedly stalled, prolonging the country’s political deadlock and exacerbating the security situation in the oil-rich nation.
The factional struggle continues, however, for control over the central bank and Libyan lawmakers last month voted to end Dbeibah’s term and consider Hamas as a legitimate government until a unified government is chosen.
Türkiye and Libya have seen closer ties in recent years, especially after the signing of security and maritime boundary pacts in November 2019, along with Türkiye’s aid to help the internationally recognized Libyan government push back Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s forces.
Türkiye supported the U.N.-recognized legitimate government in Tripoli against the eastern-based illegitimate forces led by Haftar, who was backed by Egypt, France, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Russia.
Türkiye’s support for the Tripoli government was critical in repelling the Haftar forces’ offensive to capture the capital, Tripoli, and led to a period of stability that resulted in the formation of a unity government.
