Turkey supports UN-backed political process in Libya

BERLIN- Anadolu Agency

Turkey supports a U.N.-backed political process in Libya, the country's presidential spokesman said on Sept. 18.       

It is necessary to clarify who initiated this conflict, İbrahim Kalın told reporters in Berlin after a meeting on the Libyan crisis.     

He arrived in the German capital earlier on Sept. 18 upon the invitation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.     

Libya has remained beset by turmoil since 2011, when longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi was ousted and killed in a NATO-backed uprising after four decades in power.     

The oil-rich nation has since seen the emergence of two rival seats of power: one in the east to which renegade general Khalifa Haftar is affiliated, and the Tripoli-based GNA, which enjoys U.N. recognition.     

Haftar's forces launched a campaign in April to capture Tripoli from Libya's internationally recognized GNA.     

Clashes between the two sides since then have left more than 1,000 dead and about 5,500 wounded, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).     

Wednesday's meeting was attended by  the five permanent members (P5) of the U.N. Security Council, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Arab league as well as Ghassan Salame, the U.N. special representative for Libya.     

 “Turkey supports the U.N.-facilitated political process [..] A political solution is possible and necessary with the participation of all relevant actors in Libya,” the Turkish official said.     

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will hold official talks on the Libyan crisis during next week's U.N. General Assembly gathering in New York, Kalın added.     

Kalın underlined that a cease-fire must be declared, implemented and monitored as soon as possible in the country.     

On the Syrian civil war, Kalın said: “All of our efforts under the leadership of the Turkish president are aimed at ending this war and implementing a political solution there.”     

Criticizing European countries for approaching the issue only from the angle of refugee crisis, Kalın said: “Turkey cannot carry the burden of Syria alone.”