President Erdoğan receives Libyan parliamentary speaker
President Erdoğan shakes hands with Aguila Saleh, in the capital Ankara, Türkiye, Dec. 13, 2023. (AA Photo)


Libya's Parliament speaker Aguila Saleh was received by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday.

Turkish Parliamentary Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş attended the meeting at the Presidential Complex in the capital, Ankara. The meeting was closed to the press, and none of the participants made any remarks about the topics discussed.

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 legitimate Libyan government push back putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s forces.

In the Libyan crisis, 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 U.N.-recognized Tripoli government was critical in repelling the Haftar forces’ offensive to capture the capital, Tripoli. It led to a period of stability, resulting in the formation of a united government.

In the current situation, Türkiye suggests that an election reflecting the will of the Libyan people should be held to establish a long-lasting and stable government in the country.