Reuters reported that Ankara and the Libyan reconciliation government are exploring the possibility of Turkey using the "Al-Wattia" and "Misurata" military bases. Meanwhile, Al-Wefaq forces monitored the arrival of mercenaries at the fighting hubs west of Sirte to support the forces of retired Major General Khalifa Haftar.

Reuters on Monday quoted a Turkish source - on condition of anonymity - that Turkey's use of the "Al-Watiyah" air base on the agenda "in Ankara's talks with the internationally recognized Al-Wefaq government, as well as the use of the naval base" Misurata ". The agency said that the two sides have not yet taken decisions in this matter.

Turkey is backing the Libyan reconciliation government militarily under a security agreement signed by the two sides last November.

The "Al-Wattia" air base was among the strategic locations that Al-Wefaq forces recently controlled, as it managed to drive Haftar forces out of the Libyan West within weeks, and is now preparing to regain control of the coastal city of Sirte.

Mercenaries

Meanwhile, the Al-Jazeera correspondent in Libya quoted a military source from Al-Wefaq forces today, confirming that mercenaries from Syria had been monitored by the Russian "Wagner" company, to the fighting axes west of Sirte to support Haftar's forces.

The source revealed that the forces of the Al-Wefaq government were stationed west of Sirte, awaiting the orders of the operations room to launch an attack on Haftar's forces, adding that the latter had rigged several axes west and south of Sirte to hinder any ground progress.

Turkish-Russian talks

Politically, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoغلlu stated today that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to work jointly towards a ceasefire in Libya and said that there are no differences with Russia on basic principles.

The statement came after the two sides postponed discussions on stopping the fighting in Libya, which would be held on Sunday in Turkey.

"We decided to continue negotiations at the technical level in order to consolidate the truce, as well as to define the details of the steps that must be taken after the ceasefire," said Gawishoglu.

He stressed that "there are no problems in terms of basic principles in discussions with the Russians." He added that "the table was not shaken for this or that reason, but this time there is a path that might take Libya to a permanent ceasefire and the political process, and we need to talk about more details."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov did not go to Istanbul on Sunday to meet his Turkish counterpart as scheduled.

"One of the main issues that led to the postponement of Lavrov's visit is the (reconciliation government) plan to launch an operation in Sirte, which has become a target," Reuters quoted a Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, as saying.

"He was supposed to reach a result, but it was not possible to reach this stage ... There are issues in which the two countries stand on opposite sides," the official said.

The same source stated that talks between the two sides are continuing at the expert level through back channels.

On Sunday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it was seeking an "immediate cease-fire" in Libya, and indicated that Lavrov would reschedule a date for the meeting with his Turkish counterpart.