Government of National Accord

The Turkish president on Jan. 17 expressed concern on recent developments in the embattled Idlib province in northwestern Syria, saying they were an indication that the Syrian regime did not comply with cease-fire deals initiated by Turkey and Russia.

The Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum, in which Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) have been left out, is an unrealistic formation, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Jan. 16.

"If the purpose of this forum was really cooperation, of course, Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots would be invited to the forum as well," spokesman Hami Aksoy said in a statement.

The agreement on maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea signed between Turkey and the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) infringes the interests and the sovereign rights of European Union member states, particularly of Greece and Cyprus, France said on Thursday, adding that the memorandum violates the UN Law of the Sea Convention.

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.

General Khalifa Haftar is deliberately delaying the ceasefire in Libya in order to undermine the dominance of Turkey and Russia ahead of Berlin peace conference this weekend, Turkey's defense minister has said, expressing his hope for a political breakthrough between the two warring sides through inter-Libyan dialogue.

After it was announced that Haftar had left Moscow without signing an agreement on a ceasefire in Libya between forces loyal to Haftar and an official government backed by the United Nations, the NATO bombing of Libya began, said Sergey Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received the head of Libya's U.N.-recognized government in Istanbul, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Jan. 12

The closed-door meeting between Erdoğan and Fayez al-Sarraj is underway at the Dolmabahçe Palace.     

Forces loyal to Libya's renegade Gen. Khalifa Haftar accepted a joint call by Turkey and Russia for a cease-fire and truce in the battle for Tripoli on Jan. 10. 

Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said in a video message that forces accepted the cease-fire call but would harshly respond if violated. 

Turkey expects Russia to convince Libya's renegade general Khalifa Haftar for a cease-fire, the country's foreign minister said on Jan. 11.

Libya's UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) said on Jan. 10 it killed 20 fighters of rival Gen. Khalifa Haftar in airstrikes as fresh clashes hit southern Tripoli.

GNA military spokesman Mohammed Kanunu said the strikes also destroyed two armored vehicles belonging to the United Arab Emirates.