Libya's UN-Backed Government Welcomes Ceasefire Call by Erdoğan, Putin

Source: AA

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Libya's Tripoli-based High Council of State has welcomed a ceasefire call by Turkey and Russia.

"The statements by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the Libyan crisis and attack against the capital are welcomed by the High Council," it said in a statement last night (January 8).

Erdoğan and Putin called for a ceasefire in Libya in a joint statement issued following a meeting in İstanbul yesterday.

They reaffirmed their "strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya."

The High Council of State, which advises the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), said it will support all kinds of initiatives that address the welfare of Libyans and are aimed at ending the war.

The statement also noted that any call for dialogue should remain tied to the Libyan Political Agreement signed in the city of Suheyrat in Morocco.

Since the ouster of late leader Muammar 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 the other in Tripoli, which enjoys the UN and international recognition.

'Haftar cannot be part of any solution'

Libya's parliament in Tripoli also welcomed the call for a ceasefire in a statement it released today.

"Any initiative must not affect the right of the National Accord government and its national army to defend the Libyan people and the capital [Tripoli]," the parliament statement said.

It also confirmed that the Libyan crisis should only be solved through political means.

"The party that started the war, Khalifa Haftar forces, could not be part of any political solution," added the statement.

Referring to Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the statement also called on the countries backing "traitor Haftar against the legitimate government to stop giving support for him and review their positions".

Haftar's offensive to Tripoli

On January 2, Turkey's parliament passed a motion allowing the government to send troops upon a request by the GNA, which has been besieged by Haftar's forces.

On December 12, Haftar announced that he had ordered his militants to launch a "decisive battle" to capture the city.

The forces of Haftar, backed by Egypt and the UAE, has made significant advances in recent weeks. (TP/VK)