Turkey and Russia have called for a ceasefire in Libya. Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin demanded that it enter into force at midnight on January 12. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu said this in a press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Istanbul today.
According to Lavrov, „in the light of the events of the past few days, the presidents were determined to resolve all problems in the Persian Gulf and throughout the region only in a peaceful manner and in accordance with international law.“
Joint opening of a natural gas pipeline
Erdogan and Putin had previously had a four-eye conversation in Istanbul for around one and a half hours before the joint opening of a natural gas pipeline, as the state news agency Anadolu reported. Another meeting with the country’s defense and foreign ministers after the opening ceremony took about half an hour.
Erdogan had announced on Sunday night that Turkey had sent the first soldiers to Libya. Today, a report in the newspaper „Hürriyet“ said that 35 soldiers had arrived so far.
A civil war has raged in Libya since the fall of long-term ruler Muammar al-Gadaffi in 2011. Turkey is supporting the internationally recognized government of Prime Minister Fajis al-Sarradsch, which is fighting for power with General Chalifa Haftar and the Parliament. Russia is on Haftar’s side, supported by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, among others.
