ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey will work together with Italy to achieve stable peace and a political process that will yield results in Libya, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday, and added the NATO allies could also cooperate in the eastern Mediterranean.
Turkey supports the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli. With Turkish support, the GNA has reversed a 14-month assault on Tripoli by Khalifa Haftar’s eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) – backed by Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
Speaking at a news conference with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio in Ankara, Cavusoglu also said Turkey wanted to work together with Italy on meeting Libya’s energy needs, such as electricity. The two countries could also cooperate in the eastern Mediterranean, where Ankara is at odds with Greece and other regional actors over hydrocarbon resources, he said.
Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ece Toksabay
Image: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu meets with his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio in Ankara, Turkey June 19, 2020. Turkish Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS
