The key facts
- Ibrahim Kalin and Abdulhamid Dbeibah discussed unifying Libya's divided institutions and army.
- On the same day, Libya's House of Representatives approved the maritime agreement with Turkey, reversing its earlier rejection.
- The agreement on delimiting maritime zones was signed by Turkey and Libya in November 2019.
Meeting in Tripoli
Head of Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Ibrahim Kalin met in Tripoli with Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah on Tuesday, October 20, Turkish security sources report. The main topic was efforts to unify the country's rival eastern and western administrations and their military forces.
Topics of the talks
According to the sources, the conversation concerned preserving peace, advancing political and military reconciliation, and bringing Libya's divided institutions under a single authority while maintaining the country's territorial integrity. Kalin confirmed Turkey's readiness to support efforts to overcome the divide between the eastern and western regions, emphasizing that all parties must put the country's future first and promote national unity. The parties also discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in various fields.
Dbeibah's response
Dbeibah thanked Turkey for its efforts in support of Libya's security and stability and stated that his government is ready to continue working with Ankara to preserve the country's territorial integrity.
Approval of the maritime agreement
The meeting took place on the same day that Libya's House of Representatives approved the maritime jurisdiction agreement with Turkey, reversing its earlier rejection of the deal. Kalin thanked Dbeibah, the newly elected Speaker of the House of Representatives Saleh Abdunnabi, and the deputy commander-in-chief of the Libyan National Army Saddam Haftar for their role in securing the agreement's approval.
Background on the agreement
Turkey and Libya signed the agreement on delimiting maritime jurisdiction zones in the Mediterranean in November 2019.
