Ankara welcomed the agreement of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) on a selection mechanism of the new executive authority, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced on Friday.
The statement added that the prompt formation of a unified executive authority is important for the preparations of the general elections planned to be held on 24 December 2021 in Libya, stressing the necessity of this agreement to address the urgent needs of the Libyan people.
“Turkey will resolutely continue its constructive approach towards Libya, in line with the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions on Libya and the Berlin Conference conclusions,” the statement noted.
“To ensure lasting peace, stability and welfare in Libya, we expect from all international actors to display the very same responsibility,” the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs added.
Ankara stressed that the United Nations facilitated political solution should not be hindered again, “in order to realize Libyan people’s aspiration for democracy.”
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Thursday announced the commencement of a one-week period for the submission of candidacies for the positions of a three-member Presidency Council and of Prime Minister, closing on 28 January.
This came following the decision of the LPDF to adopt a selection mechanism for a temporary executive authority through a vote conducted on 19 January.
Over the past year, Turkey has transferred more than 18,000 mercenaries from Syria to western Libya. Among these mercenaries are former fighters of ISIS and Al-Qaeda, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). It noted that about 8,000 mercenaries are now fighting on the side of Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA).