Turkey to discuss Syria, Libya in Moscow

By Tugrul Cam

ANKARA (AA) - A Turkish Foreign Ministry delegation will hold a meeting on Syria and Libya in the Russian capital Moscow on Monday.

Turkey's diplomatic sources announced that Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal and the delegation travelled to Russia on Sunday to discuss Russian President Vladimir Putin's expected visit to Turkey on January 8th.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said Turkey along with Russia was making all-out efforts to end the attacks in Idlib and that the delegation would hold talks regarding these efforts.

"We will determine the steps we will take according to the results," Erdogan said.

In September 2018, Turkey and Russia agreed to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

Since then, more than 1,300 civilians have been killed in attacks by the regime and Russian forces in the de-escalation zone as the cease-fire continues to be violated.

On Nov. 27, Ankara and Tripoli signed two separate memorandums of understanding: One on military cooperation and the other on maritime boundaries of countries in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The maritime pact asserted Turkey's rights in the Eastern Mediterranean in the face of unilateral drilling by the Greek Cypriot administration, clarifying that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus also has rights to the resources in the area. It went into effect on Dec. 8.

Since the ouster of late leader Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: One in eastern Libya supported mainly by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and another in Tripoli, which enjoys UN and international recognition.

* Writing by Dilara Hamit