Turkish, Russian foreign ministers discuss Libya

By Tevfik Durul

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s foreign minister spoke via telephone with his Russian counterpart Thursday and discussed recent developments in Libya, according to diplomatic sources.

Specific details of the conversation between Mevlut Cavusoglu and Sergey Lavrov were not disclosed by the source who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

After two weeks of intermittent fighting near Tripoli that has left scores dead, forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar, affiliated with a rival government based in eastern Libya, have so far failed to capture the capital.

Libya has remained beset by turmoil since long-serving leader Muammar Gaddafi was ousted and killed in a bloody NATO-backed uprising in 2011.

Since then, the country has seen the emergence of two rival seats of power: one in eastern Libya, to which Haftar is affiliated, and another in Tripoli, which enjoys UN recognition.

*Writing by Beyza Binnur Donmez