Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah discussed ways to strengthen cooperation and the latest political and security developments in Libya on Thursday on the sidelines of the COP31 World Leaders Climate Summit in the Turkish city of Antalya. Dbeibah's media office said the meeting covered bilateral relations and prospects for expanding cooperation in various fields, particularly the economy, investment, security and defense, as well as progress in implementing agreements and memorandums of understanding signed by the two countries. The talks also addressed efforts to support stability and unify Libya's institutions, alongside continued coordination on regional and international issues. Erdogan reaffirmed Türkiye's continued support for Libya's stability, stressing that "any initiative not embraced by Libyans will have no impact on the ground." On the sidelines of the climate summit, Dbeibah also met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss developments in Libya's political process and efforts by the UN mission to support stability. Dbeibah reaffirmed his government's readiness to continue coordinating with the mission to help it fulfill its mandate, praising UN envoy Hanna Tetteh's efforts to facilitate dialogue and bridge differences among Libyan factions. He also welcomed the "4+4 agreement" and called for building on its outcomes to end the transitional periods and pave the way for elections. Representatives of Dbeibah's government and the eastern-based General Command signed the 4+4 agreement on Aug. 30 to break the political deadlock and create conditions for presidential and parliamentary elections within 24 months, through unified institutions and a single executive authority. Dbeibah's meetings in Antalya on Thursday also included talks with Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, focusing on developments in Sudan, ways to strengthen economic and trade cooperation, facilitate the movement of citizens and coordinate on security and border issues. Dbeibah reiterated Libya's support for Sudan's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, rejecting any attempts to divide the country or undermine its national institutions. He stressed the need to intensify regional and international efforts to secure a ceasefire and ensure humanitarian aid reaches those affected by the conflict. Dbeibah attended the summit's opening on Wednesday. The event, hosted by Antalya on Nov. 11-12 under Erdogan's chairmanship, brought together Guterres and around 102 leaders and senior representatives from 95 countries and seven international organizations. Discussions focused on climate finance, the energy transition and strengthening international cooperation to achieve sustainable development goals. The meetings come amid renewed momentum in Libyan-Turkish relations after Libya's House of Representatives ratified a maritime memorandum of understanding signed in 2019 between Ankara and Libya's former Government of National Accord. Contacts and consultations between Libya's rival factions and Turkish officials have intensified recently. On Wednesday, Turkish Ambassador Guven Begenc met General Salahuddin al-Namroush, chief of the general staff under Dbeibah's interim Government of National Unity, to discuss developing military relations in ways that serve the two countries' mutual interests. Meanwhile, General Khaled Haftar, chief of the general staff under the eastern-based General Command, arrived in the Turkish capital Ankara on Thursday for an official visit lasting several days.
