Top Turkish, Libyan officials meet in Ankara

One week into a nationwide cease-fire, Turkey's defense minister and Libya's interior minister discussed the latest situation in Libya, Turkey's National Defense Ministry said Friday.

Hulusi Akar welcomed Fathi Bashagha in the capital Ankara with military honors, and spoke on recent developments in the North African nation in a one-on-one meeting, said a written statement.

Last November, Turkey and Libya signed pacts on security cooperation and maritime boundaries.

Last Friday, Libya announced a cease-fire and ordered the military to stop all combat operations, specifying that the areas of Sirte and al-Jufra must be demilitarized, and calling for elections next March.

On Thursday, the Libyan army said militias loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar had violated the cease-fire.

Following the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya's new government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led political deal.

Libya's internationally recognized government has been under attack by warlord Haftar's forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.

With Turkish support, Libya's government has recently turned the tide against the forces of Haftar, while stressing that there is no military solution for Libya.