Faruk Zorlu
January 12, 2020•Update: January 13, 2020
ANKARA
A Turkish opposition leader said on Sunday that a cease-fire in Libya encouraged by Turkey and Russia is a "valuable" development.
Turkey should actively contribute to reducing the internal conflict in Iraq, Syria and Libya, said Devlet Bahceli, head of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), at the party’s annual executive meeting in Turkey's capital Ankara.
The cease-fires came into effect on Sunday following a meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin last week.
Turkey should deal with the matter in the region, Bahceli said, adding it's a natural and normal process for Turkey to deal with these issues.
"Respecting and supporting the territorial integrity of Iran, Syria, Iraq, Libya should be the main strategy of Turkish foreign policy," Bahceli said.
On Jan. 2, upon a request by the Government of National Accord in Libya, Turkey’s parliament passed a motion on sending troops to the country.
Since the ouster of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: one in eastern Libya supported mainly by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates and the other in Tripoli, which enjoys the UN and international recognition.
On April 4 last year, eastern Libya-based commander Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive to capture Tripoli from the UN-recognized government. According to the UN, more than 1,000 people have been killed since the start of the operation and more than 5,000 injured.
