Khalifa Haftar

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.

The commander of forces fighting the U.N.-supported government in war-torn Libya has begun meetings in Athens.

Khalifa Haftar met with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias after arriving for a previously unannounced visit late on Jan. 16.

He will continue meetings with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Jan. 17 as well as with other senior Greek officials.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias was meeting on Friday with Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar who flew into Athens on Thursday night in a previously unannounced visit. 

By George Gilson

In a resounding response to German Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to bar Greece from the 19 January Libya peace conference, Libya National Army leader General Khalifa Haftar arrived in Athens for talks with Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis just two days before the conference.

Libya's Khalifa Haftar, commander of eastern Libyan forces, arrived in Athens Thursday and was expected to have talks there on Friday with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias during a stopover on his way to Berlin for a conference on the Libya crisis.