On Wednesday, Libya’s Speaker of Parliament, Ageela Saleh, arrived in the Turkish capital, Ankara, for an official one-day visit.
Abdullah Blehaig, the Spokesperson for the House of Representatives (HoR), stated that Saleh held discussions with his Turkish counterpart, Speaker Mustafa Şentop, covering various political issues and bilateral relations between the Libyan and Turkish parliaments.
Saleh is scheduled to meet with Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to affirm the HoR’s stance on the formation of a new government tasked with overseeing the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.
Last month, the Turkish Parliament approved a presidential motion to extend the authorization for the deployment of Turkish troops to Libya for another 24 months.
The motion extends the mandate of Turkish troops beginning on the 2nd of January. “The continuation of the ceasefire and the political dialogue process in Libya, and the establishment of peace and stability as a result of this process, are of great importance for Türkiye,” according to the motion signed by Erdoğan.
“The risks and threats arising from Libya persist for Türkiye and the entire region. In case of the resumption of attacks against the legitimate government, Türkiye’s interests in both the Mediterranean basin and North Africa will be adversely affected,” it said.
“Preventing the resumption of conflicts holds significance to ensure the conclusion of military and political negotiations conducted under the auspices of the United Nations (UN),” it added.
The Turkish Parliament previously extended the mission of Turkish forces in Libya for 18 months, beginning January 2nd, 2021. This extension enabled the Turkish military to provide essential training and mine-clearance expertise, elevating the Libyan forces’ combat capabilities to meet international standards.