Turkish president meets leader of Libyan government
Closed-door meeting between Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Fayez al-Sarraj takes place in Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) meets Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA), Fayez al-Sarraj (L) in Istanbul, Turkey on December 15, 2019. ( TURKISH PRESIDENCY / MURAT CETINMUHURDAR / HANDOUT - Anadolu Agency )
ISTANBUL
Turkey's president held a meeting on Sunday with the head of Libya's UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA).
The closed-door meeting between Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Fayez al-Sarraj took place in the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul.
On Nov. 7, Ankara and Tripoli-based Libyan government reached two separate memorandums of understanding (MoU), one on military cooperation and the other one on maritime boundaries of countries in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The earlier memorandum on maritime boundaries asserted Turkey's rights in the Eastern Mediterranean in the face of unilateral drilling by the Greek Cypriot administration, clarifying that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) also has rights to the resources in the area. It went into effect on Dec. 8.
Following the military cooperation deal, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently said Ankara might consider sending troops to Libya if the GNA made such a request.
*Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur
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