Erdogan, Merkel discuss developments in Libya, Syria

By Zafer Fatih Beyaz

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a phone conversation on Tuesday, according to Turkey's Communications Directorate.

The two leaders discussed latest developments in Libya and Syria, said a directorate statement.

On Jan. 12, Libya’s conflicting parties announced a truce in response to a joint call by the Turkish and Russian leaders. However, talks for a permanent cease-fire ended without an agreement after eastern-based warlord Khalifa Haftar left Moscow without signing the deal.

A week later, Haftar accepted terms in Berlin to designate members to a UN-proposed military commission with five members from each side to monitor the implementation of the cease-fire.

Since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: one in eastern Libya supported mainly by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates and another in Tripoli, which enjoys UN and international recognition.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others displaced, according to UN officials.

* Writing by Gozde Bayar