Western Libya offensive

With its efforts in the field and diplomatic area, Turkey assumed the key role to bring peace to Libya, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Jan. 19.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The world leaders' meeting will take place on Sunday in Berlin

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will host a peace conference on Libya, which will take place in Berlin on Sunday, the German government's office reported, quoted by the DPA and BTA as saying.

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.