Turkey says Tripoli backs energy deal despite court suspension

Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) told Turkey "not to take seriously" a court ruling that suspended an energy exploration deal that the Tripoli government signed with Ankara last year, the Turkish foreign minister said on Thursday.

A Libyan court on Monday suspended the energy exploration deal that had angered other Mediterranean powers and inflamed Libya's own internal crisis.

Speaking in a live TV broadcast, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Ankara had been in touch with Abdul Hamid al-Dbeibeh, head of the Tripoli-based GNU.

"This court ruling is not the final verdict. The government still backs the deal and they told us that they are proceeding with the necessary work and we should not take this court ruling seriously," Cavusoglu said.

Tripoli's appeals court, which issued Monday's decision, left room for the GNU to appeal.<...