Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşo أوlu discussed with Libyan leaders in Tripoli - during his second visit in less than two months - efforts to settle the Libyan crisis politically, and he spoke about negotiations with the Russians on the fate of the cities of Sirte and Jafra.
Gawishoglu met today, Thursday, President of the Presidential Council of the Government of Accord, Fayez al-Sarraj, accompanied by Malta's Foreign Minister Evarist Bartolo, and also met with the head of the Libyan Supreme State Council, Khaled al-Mashri.
The Turkish minister said that his country continues its discussions with the Russians to resolve the Libyan crisis in coordination with the government of reconciliation.
He added that there are fears for the Al-Wefaq government about any attack by the forces of retired Major General Khalifa Hifter, and that Ankara does not see any objection to the handing over of the government of Al-Wefaq to the cities of Sirte and Al-Jafra.
The Turkish foreign minister had previously confirmed that the handover of Haftar's forces to Sirte and Jafra was a condition for any ceasefire in Libya.
The Al-Jazeera correspondent in Tripoli, Ahmed Khalifa, indicated that this visit is the second for the Turkish minister after the Haftar forces stormed from the southern suburbs of Tripoli, as well as from the city of Tarhuna (80 km southeast of the capital) in early June.
Al-Wefaq government forces continue to send military reinforcements to the outskirts of Sirte (450 km south), and Haftar forces - backed by Russian mercenaries - continue to fortify the city, and field leaders in the internationally recognized Libyan government have repeatedly confirmed that their forces are awaiting instructions to start a military operation to control Sirte, as well as the Al-Jafra area, which is to the south and which includes an air base, the US military confirmed that Russia had deployed warplanes in support of Haftar.
The President of the Presidential Council of the Government of Al-Wefaq, Fayez al-Sarraj, renewed during his meeting yesterday with Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerrini in Tripoli, stressing that any ceasefire must ensure that those he described as the aggressor did not remain in any location that would allow him to threaten new aggression.
The two parties stressed the utmost necessity for the return of oil production under the supervision of the Libyan National Oil Corporation, and the return of Italian companies to resume their activities in Libya.
Weapons and mercenaries
For his part, Khaled Al-Mashri, head of the Supreme Council of State in Libya, said that within one month, Al-Wefaq forces monitored the landing of more than 110 aircraft, some of them freight and small aircraft, loaded with weapons and mercenaries to support the forces of retired Major General Khalifa Hifter.
Al-Mashri added - at a press conference in Tripoli - that his meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoوlu discussed the issues of combating irregular migration in cooperation between Libya, Malta and Turkey, and the proposed political initiatives.
The Libyan official spoke about the possible battle to restore Sirte and Al-Jafra, stressing that the reconciliation government is able to resolve the appropriate form and timing, and that this matter is up to the military leaders.
Recently, the US Army's Africa Command (AFRICOM) released photos that it said demonstrated the spread of Russian mercenaries with Russian military equipment on the front lines around the city of Sirte.
Identical sources also confirm that Russian mercenaries entered several Libyan oil fields and ports to export oil in the Hilal oil region (east of the city of Sirte).