Turkey’s spy chief meets Libya's Hifter in surprise visit to Benghazi
The surprise visit comes amid Ankara’s swiftly deepening thaw with eastern authorities after years of rivalry.
ANKARA — Turkey’s intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, made a surprise visit to eastern Libya to meet with strongman Khalifa Hifter, local media reported on Monday.
In their first-ever meeting, Kalin and Hifter — commander of the Libyan National Army and the de facto ruler of eastern Libya — discussed ways to deepen cooperation as Ankara moves to mend ties with Benghazi.
A statement from Hifter’s office said the pair addressed “the remarkable development in relations in a way that serves their common interests,” according to the news website Libya Update.
Kalin also met Hifter’s son, Saddam, according to images released by Libyan media. The younger Hifter was appointed earlier this month by his father as the LNA’s deputy commander in chief, the army’s second-highest post.
