Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan suggested Friday that Libya’s rival eastern and western administrations could be nearing reunification, signaling that Ankara could soon announce progress.
Turkey backed the UN-recognized government in Tripoli, Libya’s capital in the west, during years of conflict, but has since improved relations with the eastern leadership after years of hostility.
“We have now reached a stage where the conditions are ripe to permanently secure the reunification of the east and the west,” Fidan told journalists.
“Both sides have military structures. These structures need to be brought together under a national army.”
Fidan was speaking after hosting foreign ministers from Europe and the region in İstanbul, with Egypt among the participants.
He described bringing the two sides’ military forces under one command as a pillar of national unification.
“God willing, you will soon hear very good news about this from Turkey.”
Libya’s eastern-based parliament on Tuesday approved a maritime boundary agreement with Turkey that it had rejected after its signing in 2019.
The European Union and member states Italy and Greece criticized the agreement this week, while Egypt objected, saying that it infringed on its rights in the Mediterranean.
Fidan proposed talks involving Turkey, Italy and Egypt to discuss Egyptian and Libyan concerns.
Later Friday Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler offered to sign a maritime boundary agreement with Egypt during an interview with the Turkish Star TV broadcaster.
“We are ready to sign an agreement with Egypt on the delimitation of maritime jurisdiction areas,” he told the station.
Güler argued that a deal with Turkey would give Egypt approximately 15,000 square kilometers more maritime jurisdiction than a potential agreement with Greece.
“As Turkey, we are resolutely maintaining our stance on protecting our legitimate rights and interests in the eastern Mediterranean,” he said.
© Agence France-Presse
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