Turkey reopens Libyan embassy after 2 years

By Meltem Bulur

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey reopened its embassy in Libya on Monday, the Foreign Ministry said, more than two years after the mission was closed for security reasons.

“The activities of the Turkish Embassy in Tripoli have resumed today with a reduced staff in the initial stage,” the ministry said in a statement on its website.

Since the embassy closed in 2014, Turkey has been represented by its consulate in Misurata, a town in northwest Libya.

“While enjoying close historical bonds of brotherhood and friendship with Libya, Turkey embraces all segments of the Libyan people,” the statement said, adding that the embassy would allow Turkey to make a stronger contribution to reconstruction and stability in Libya.

Fighting broke out between two rival seats of power in Libya -- in Tobruk and Tripoli -- in 2014 and the security vacuum allowed Daesh to establish a presence in the country. Last year a UN-backed unity government was established in Tripoli.