UPDATE 2 - Turkish president meets speaker of Libyan House of Representatives

UPDATES WITH REMARKS FROM TURKISH PARLIAMENT SPEAKER, LIBYAN SPEAKER OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

By Muhammed Enes Calli and Diyar Guldogan

ISTANBUL / WASHINGTON (AA) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Aguila Saleh, the speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives, for a meeting on Wednesday, the Turkish presidency said.

No further information was provided about the meeting held at the presidential palace in the capital Ankara.

Separately, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted Saleh in Ankara.

The Foreign Ministry did not share further details about the closed-door meeting.

Turkish Parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmus also held a face-to-face meeting with Saleh.

Türkiye's first priority regarding Libya is to ensure political stability in Libya and to take the prosperity and economic development in Libya to further levels in the shortest possible time, Kurtulmus said.

"We want to see unity, solidarity and brotherhood in Libya. We want to see political stability. I would like to express once again that, as Türkiye, we stand by the Libyan people with all our means to ensure political stability," he added.

Saleh, for his part, said he is pleased to be in Ankara, and wished that the visit would lead to further development of cooperation between the two countries.

Turning to Türkiye's support to Palestine, Saleh said he will not forget President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's attitudes and stance.

"He really strongly supports the Palestinian cause. The Palestinian people will benefit from this support and establish their own independent state, and its capital will be Jerusalem.

"Israel will one day pay the price for the murders it committed against the Palestinian people," he added.

Libya has been torn by a civil war and instability since the ouster of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Türkiye has deep-rooted relations with Libya. Due to its historical and cultural ties, Türkiye attaches the utmost importance to the security and welfare of the Libyan people.