Turkey will always favor political solution in Libya, Presidential spokesman says

Kalın told Al Jazeera that Turkey was concerned that military elements had been building up in the Libyan cities of Sirte and Jufra for a year, posing a threat to the country’s peace and territorial integrity.

Noting that Turkey rejected both official and nonofficial plans regarding the disintegration of Libya, Kalın emphasized the Turkish administration did not seek military solutions anywhere in Libya.

He added that Ankara did not want to confront any foreign country in Libya. Egypt, for instance, is a neighbor of Libya and could adopt a constructive role to resolve the conflict, he said.

However, the presence of mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group and other foreign mercenaries the United Arab Emirates (UAE) brought from countries such as Sudan, Niger and Chad are a source of concern for Turkey, he said.

He asserted that ridding Sirte and Jufra of weapons and mercenaries could be a good step toward stopping clashes and open a window of opportunity for a political solution in the country, adding that this process had to be conducted in a fair and transparent manner.

Noting that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin recently held a long phone conversation on developments in Libya and Syria, Kalin argued that the two powers could cooperate in Libya as they have in Syria.

He said Russia supported putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar despite Moscow denying such claims but noted that the Russian administration had sought to act as a mediator between the conflicting sides in Libya.

Kalin said he believes a political solution could still be achieved in Libya, and Turkey would be glad to see any country including Egypt, Qatar, Germany, Russia and Italy contribute to that process.