Turkey will work together with Italy to achieve stable peace and a political process that will yield results in Libya, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Friday, and added the NATO allies could also cooperate in the eastern Mediterranean.
Turkey supports the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli. With Turkish support, the GNA has reversed a 14-month assault on Tripoli by Khalifa Haftar's eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) - backed by Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
Speaking at a news conference with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio in Ankara, Çavuşoğlu also said Turkey wanted to work together with Italy on meeting Libya's energy needs, such as electricity.
The two countries could also cooperate in the eastern Mediterranean, where Ankara is at odds with Greece and other regional actors over hydrocarbon resources, he said.
"We are aware of the critical role that Italy has played. We thank them. They played a balanced role," Çavuşoğlu said.
He said Italy, unlike some EU countries, has not taken sides with the putschist Khalifa Haftar.
"Italy has made sincere efforts for a cease-fire and political process," he said.
Çavuşoğlu said Turkey would like to see Italy on other platforms about Libya and this request has been conveyed to Russia and other countries.
Meanwhile, Di Maio said Italy wants a sustainable cease-fire in Libya.
Last November, Turkey and Libya signed landmark pacts on military cooperation as well as boundaries in the Mediterranean.
Under the deal, Turkey has sent advisors to help the Libyan army defeat the militias of warlord Khalifa Haftar.
The Libyan army recently inflicted heavy blows on Haftar and liberated the capital Tripoli and Tarhuna, in addition to other strategic locations, including Al-Watiya airbase, from his militias.
The internationally recognized Libyan government has been under attack by Haftar's forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.
