Libya’s deputy PM invites Turkey’s envoy to visit east

LIBYA’S Deputy Prime Minister Hussein al-Qatrani yesterday invited Turkey’s ambassador to Libya, Kenan Yılmaz, to visit the African country’s east.

According to a statement by the Libyan government, Yılmaz underlined the importance of reactivating diplomatic and consular representations in the eastern city of Benghazi and called for the resumption of commercial activities between Turkey and seaports and airports in eastern Libya.

The Turkish diplomat also reiterated that Turkey advocates for a political process in Libya that takes into account all parties. Yılmaz said Ankara had previously invited members of the Libyan House of Representatives to discuss bilateral relations and possible solutions to the Libyan crisis.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed bilateral relations with Libya’s Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) Fawzi al-Nuwairi and a delegation that visited Ankara last month.

The Libyan delegation’s main focus of the agenda included the reopening of Turkey’s Consulate-General in the eastern city of Benghazi, which has remained closed since June 2014.

Another topic was the relaunching of Turkish Airlines (THY) flights to Benghazi, but the Turkish side highlighted the importance of carrying out necessary technical work, as well as security precautions to do so. The Libyan lawmakers also invited Turkey’s ambassador to Tripoli to visit Benghazi.

Libya has been torn apart by civil war since the ouster of late ruler Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. In 2014, Turkey closed its consulate in Benghazi following an offensive by putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar to take Libya under his control, but he failed to do so and retreated to eastern Libya. Turkey has supported the country’s U.N.-recognized government against Haftar.