Tobruk

Turkey's growing influence in Libya is reportedly worrying Athens, especially as tensions between Ankara and Benghazi have eased.

In a devastating maritime tragedy, 61 migrants, including women and children, lost their lives in a shipwreck off Libya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Libya confirmed.

At least 32 migrants drowned early on Wednesday when their boat capsized and sank off Greece, the country's coast guard said.

One hundred people were rescued, but it remained unclear how many were on board when the vessel went under, authorities said. The shipwreck was the deadliest off Greece this year.

With the right policies, Turkey could play a crucial role in Libya's reconstruction period, a top business leader said.
Murtaza Karanfil, the head of Turkey-Libya Business Council of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), told Anadolu Agency in an interview that Turkey is not seen as a colonial state in the region like many other countries.

Turkey on July 6 "strongly" condemned an attempted desecration of the Turkish flag in Tobruk, Libya by supporters of putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar, calling it a "heinous act."

Turkey hopes Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) will be swiftly formed through the confidence vote session to take place on March 8, urging the historic opportunity should not be wasted for the sake of some countries' calculations and ambitions in Libya.

Libya's democratic steps based on dialogue and national consensus in the political process offered an important window of opportunity for permanent peace in the country, the Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman said on March 6.

Turkey's foreign minister on Jan. 22 said the Syrian regime's attacks in the last rebel-held enclave of Idlib are "unacceptable" and called on Russia to abide by a recent ceasefire brokered by Ankara and Moscow as a guarantor state.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met on Jan. 19 in Berlin ahead of Germany-led summit for Libya.

Erdoğan and Putin met in Berlin on the sidelines of the summit for Libya. The meeting started at 3 p.m. local time and lasted for about one hour.

The presidents of Turkey and the U.S. spoke over the phone on Jan. 15, according to a statement by the Turkish Presidential Communications Directorate.

Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on the latest developments in Libya and the region.