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Turkey gains clout in Libya negotiations following Berlin conference

Though observers expect few on-the-ground changes in the Libyan conflict after the Berlin conference, Turkish leaders have secured a seat at the negotiating table moving forward.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel leave a news conference after the Libya summit in Berlin, Germany, January 19, 2020.  Michael Kappeler/Pool via Reuters - RC27JE9LBDB3

The Berlin conference on Libya ended Jan. 19 with domestic and foreign actors agreeing on fragile proposals to enforce an arms embargo and to work toward de-escalating a conflict that has gripped the nation since the fall of Col. Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

Though many of the conclusions set forth mechanisms for progress, including the establishment of a cease-fire committee that is to meet regularly, few expect short-term changes on the ground in Libya as a sustainable resolution remains elusive. Still, in the days following the summit, observers have said Turkey’s increased involvement in the conflict acted as a catalyst for the European and international community to revisit developments in Libya.

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