Western Libya offensive

A senior delegation from Ankara will soon travel to Moscow for substantial talks on the recent developments in Libya, the Turkish president said, expressing his hopes to accomplish a constructive result in a short time, after a phone exchange with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

The presidents of Russia and France discussed the ongoing crisis in Libya plus Syria and Ukraine over the phone, Russia's state-run TASS news agency said on Dec. 17.

Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron stressed the importance of resolving the Libyan crisis through diplomacy, the agency reported.

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday Turkey is ready to provide Tripoli any military support it needs after Ankara and Libya's internationally recognized government signed a security deal. 

"We will be protecting the rights of Libya and Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean," he said on A Haber TV. "We are more than ready to give whatever support necessary to Libya." 

An airstrike that killed at least seven workers at a biscuit factory in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, is under investigation and could amount to a "war crime," the UN envoy to the North African nation Ghassan Salame said on Nov. 18.

Turkey on Aug. 11 condemned a car bomb explosion in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi that claimed the lives of two United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) staff and left many people wounded.

The head of Libya's UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) on Monday hailed Turkey's stance rejecting Khalifa Haftar's armed aggression on the capital Tripoli, according to a statement by al-Sarraj's office.

Turkey on July 3 termed Haftar forces' attack on irregular migrants in Libya "crime against humanity," and urged for an international probe.

Libya's UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) on July 1 accused forces loyal to East Libya-based military commander Khalifa Haftar of killing migrants staying at a shelter in the capital.

The White House said on April 19 that President Donald Trump spoke by phone earlier in the week and discussed "ongoing counterterrorism efforts" with Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, leader of a military assault on the capital Tripoli in opposition to the internationally recognized government.