Africa

At least three people were killed and 20 others, including Turkish nationals, injured after a suicide car bomb blast targeted a police convoy escorting Turkish contractors in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Jan. 18, said officials.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called on Europe to support its work in Libya, where it is providing military support to the internationally-recognized government, if it wants to end the conflict there.

Erdoğan made his remarks in a column published on the Politico website on Jan. 18, ahead of a summit in Berlin on Jan. 19 that will try to stabilize the country.

The agreement on maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean signed between Turkey and the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) is in violation of international law and is therefore invalid, Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar said after a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens on Friday.

Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader on Jan. 17 criticized the government's foreign policy, especially in the Middle East and said that Turkish foreign policy has become "individual-centric."

Germany and the United Nations will push rival Libyan camps and their foreign backers fighting over the capital to agree on Sunday to a truce and monitoring mechanism as first steps towards peace, diplomats and a draft communique said.

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.

A meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar ended on Friday without any statements to the media. 

The meeting, which took place at Mitsotakis' office in Parliament, followed one between Haftar and Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias at the ministry. 

A meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar ended on Friday without any statements to the media. 

The meeting, which took place at Mitsotakis' office in Parliament, followed one between Haftar and Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias at the ministry. 

After talks with Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar on Friday, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said Greece expected Germany to safeguard European positions at Sunday's summit on the Libya crisis in Berlin - which include that the Turkey-Libya maritime boundaries agreement is invalid.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said could send troops to Libya to maintain peace after the ceasefire between the parties.

Conte visited Algeria on Thursday, where he met with President of the Republic of Abdelmadjid Tebboune, RIA Novosti reported.