BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the conflict in Libya and the situation in the eastern Mediterranean in a video call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Merkel’s spokesman said in a statement on Tuesday.
Turkey is backing Libya’s internationally recognised government in Tripoli in its conflict with the Libyan National Army (LNA), which is backed by Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt. Ankara is believed to want to establish a permanent military presence in the country.
According to the statement, Merkel and Erdogan agreed that the United Nations-sponsored peace process in war-torn Libya should be reinforced.
France, Germany’s closest European ally, on Monday criticised Turkey’s increasingly “aggressive” role in Libya.
(Reporting by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Michelle Martin)
