Top Turkish, Libyan officials meet in Ankara

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish defense minister and Libya's interior minister discussed the latest situation in Libya in the capital Ankara, the National Defense Ministry said Friday.

Hulusi Akar welcomed Fathi Bashagha with military honors, said a written statement by the ministry.

The ministers held a one-on-one meeting to exchange views, it added.

Last November, Turkey and Libya signed pacts on security cooperation and maritime boundaries.

Following the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya's new government was founded in 2015 under a political deal led by the UN.

Libya's internationally recognized government has been under attack by warlord Haftar's forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.

With Turkish support, Libya’s government has recently turned the tide against the forces of warlord Khalifa Haftar, while stressing that there is no military solution for Libya.