Turkey, Russia agree to work for truce in Libya as regional rivalry heats up
Despite backing opposing sides, Moscow and Russia have pledged to work toward a cease-fire in the North African country in a conflict that is fueling a complex maze of rivalries across the region.
ISTANBUL — Turkey and Russia said they will push for a cease-fire in Libya, where they support opposing sides in a civil war, while tensions continue to escalate between Ankara and Europe elsewhere in the Mediterranean, exposing a tangle of competing alliances across the region.
Turkish and Russian officials meeting in Turkey’s capital on Wednesday agreed to continue working toward a truce for the North African state as well as facilitate dialogue between the warring parties and improve the humanitarian situation, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Turkey entered the Libyan conflict in January on the side of the internationally recognized Government of National Accord, swiftly turning the fight against rebel commander Khalifa Hifter in the GNA’s favor despite Hifter’s support from Russia, France, Egypt and others.
In exchange for its military assistance, Turkey inked lucrative energy deals with the GNA last year that create an “exclusive economic zone” that stretches from Turkey’s Mediterranean shore to Libya’s coast, infringing on Greek and Cypriot territorial waters.
