Aguila Saleh, the Speaker of Libya’s House of Representatives, voiced optimism about a possible meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan before year’s end. He shared these hopes in a conversation with RIA News, emphasizing that recent developments in the bilateral relationship reflect notable progress between eastern Libya and Türkiye. Saleh also recounted his visit to Ankara, where he held talks with leaders of the Turkish parliament and with Erdoğan himself.
He said he had received an invitation to visit Turkey, though an exact date had not been set. The invitation came from the Turkish Grand National Assembly, and Saleh suggested that a visit could occur in the near future to engage with Turkish authorities directly. He stated that a high-level meeting with Turkish officials might take place within the next two weeks, before the close of the year, underscoring a forward-looking diplomatic agenda.
Libya remains divided politically, with two governments operating in parallel and lacking mutual recognition. The UN-supported administration led by Abdulhamid Dbeibah governs in Tripoli, while a rival government with the mandate of the House of Representatives holds sway in Sirte after the dismissal of Fathi Bashagha, with Osama Hamad acting as its head. This split has persisted despite ongoing international efforts to forge a unified national framework.
Since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has struggled to function as a single state. Tensions have persisted between the western authorities based in Tripoli and the eastern bloc supported by the Libyan National Army under Marshal Khalifa Haftar. In 2021, the Geneva-based Libya Political Dialogue Forum, convened under United Nations auspices, elected an interim executive government ahead of elections that have yet to be held, reflecting persistent challenges in achieving nationwide political consensus.
Recent moves in the region include Libya’s formal step to criminalize normalization of relations with Israel, signaling a stance aligned with broader regional dynamics. In a separate regional context, trade dynamics between Russia and Africa have shown a marked uptick, with volumes rising significantly in the period under review, illustrating the shifting economic landscape and the diversification of international partnerships that Libyan authorities monitor closely. [RIA News]