Libya’s Haftar must choose political over military solution: Turkey

Turkey says Khalifa Haftar, the commander of rebel militia in Libya, must submit to international calls for a political solution to the persisting armed conflict in the North African country.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu made the remark during an interview with Turkish broadcaster NTV at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, two days after a multinational peace summit was held on the Libyan conflict in the German capital, Berlin.

Since 2014, two rival seats of power have emerged in Libya: the internationally-recognized government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, and another group based in the eastern city of Tobruk, supported militarily by Haftar’s militia.

The rebels launched an offensive to capture the capital, Tripoli, in April last year, interrupting peace negotiations underway at the time. Despite intense fighting, Haftar has so far failed to achieve his objective and his offensive has stalled outside the capital.

On Sunday, leaders from Turkey, Russia, Egypt, France, Italy, Britain, and the United States, as well as Sarraj and Haftar, attended a United Nations (UN)-backed summit in Berlin to help establish a “permanent” ceasefire between the warring sides.

The final communiqué of the day-long summit, the first such event since 2018, called on all the parties concerned in the conflict “to redouble their efforts for a sustained suspension of hostilities, de-escalation and a permanent ceasefire.” Participants also pledged not to interfere in Libya’s internal affairs and its conflict. They also agreed to “fully respect” the arms embargo imposed on the North African country by the UN in 2011.

SS