Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, greeted to a fanfare arrival Sunday in Algiers, said the North African nation is "important for the stability of the region," an apparent bow to Algerian efforts to play a key role in unwinding chaos in neighboring Libya.
"Turkey is resolutely standing with the Libyan people in their hour of need," Erdoğan said in his comments as speaking at a joint news conference with his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune following their bilateral meeting in the capital Algiers.
"We are determined to stand by our Libyan brothers," Erdoğan added.
He said Ankara wanted to ensure peace in Libya and prevent foreign intervention against the UN-recognized government.
"We fully support the political process embraced by Libyans and led by the U.N. to achieve cease-fire," Erdoğan said, referring to the deal reached in Berlin earlier this month.
Erdoğan was greeted by the Algerian chief of state and full government at the airport to start a two-day visit centered on Libya and on boosting their own economic cooperation.
Erdoğan is the first foreign head of state on an official visit here since the Dec. 12 election of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and portraits of the Turkish leader lined the way between the airport and the presidential mansion.
After an initial private meeting, Erdoğan castigated the role of the international community in Libya, which shares a nearly 1,000-kilometer (more than 600-mile) border with Algeria, saying it "has failed in Syria and Libya."
"The international community has failed in Libya," Erdoğan said in brief remarks, and "Algeria is an important country in the stability of the region."
He invited Tebboune to visit Turkey.
Algeria has begun playing a stepped-up role in trying to turn chaos into peace in Libya, where two rival governments are fighting for control, helped by foreign countries. Turkey notably has taken the side of the internationally recognized government based in Tripoli, which is under siege from eastern rival Gen. Khalifa Haftar. World powers are pushing both sides to respect a tentative truce.
The two leaders during their meeting discussed possible cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, defense and tourism.
They signed an agreement to establish the Turkey-Algeria High-Level Cooperation Council.
Erdoğan is expected to travel to Gambia and Senegal after his stay in Algiers.
Algeria convened a meeting last Thursday of foreign ministers of countries neighboring Libya plus Mali.
Haftar is backed by Egypt, Russia and the United Arab Emirates, while the embattled U.N.-backed government is aided by Qatar, along with Turkey. The proxy conflict has been in the making since long-time Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was deposed and killed in 2011.
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 the other in Tripoli, which enjoys the UN and international recognition.
