Turkey expects to be further involved in Libya after Berlin summit

ANKARA - Turkey wants to be further involved in any process that would restore peace and stability in war-torn Libya following a summit of world leaders held on Sunday in Berlin where key actors agreed on limiting external interference.

Participants in the one-day summit signed a wide-ranging agreement to respect a UN arms embargo and stop providing military support to Libya's warring factions. But the gathering failed to persuade the rival sides to agree to a lasting cease-fire.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who attended the conference, said his country's efforts at the summit had set the ground work for a cease-fire between the warring parties, adding that Turkey's presence in the North African country increased hopes for peace.

The Turkish leader made these remarks to reporters on a flight back from Berlin, broadcaster NTV reported Monday, making it clear that Turkey is determined to play a key role in Libya after the Berlin summit.

In a joint conference with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after a meeting on the sidelines of the summit, the Turkish leader insisted on the importance of the role of his nation in Libya peace talks.

"Turkey has become key to peace in Libya with its efforts both on the field and diplomacy. We see the Berlin summit as an important step on the way to cementing a cease-fire and a political solution," he said.

Erdogan reportedly left the German capital two hours ahead of schedule, because he refused to sit on the same table with Khalifa Haftar, commander of Libya's eastern-based army, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Kerim Has, a Moscow-based analyst, said Erdogan is irritated by the conclusions of the summit that called for a halt to all foreign intrusions in the war.

"Except Turkey, no other country has announced or stated having sent troops to Libya ... All other countries (involved in Libya) are using mercenaries, but never admitted it officially," he said.

Has also pointed out that Turkey's policy to deploy troops in Tripoli would be a "risky strategy" after the Berlin summit, indicating, however, that Ankara would not change its policy to militarily support the Government of National Accord (GNA) of Libya.

Ankara backs the GNA led by Fayez al-Sarraj, which enjoys UN and international recognition, while Haftar has his own de-facto government in eastern Libya, supported mainly by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, Turkey's regional rivals.

Turkey's backing of the Tripoli-based GNA can primarily be explained by a recent maritime boundary deal sealed between the two parties in the Mediterranean, giving Libya and Turkey access to an economic zone in the area, which is rich in hydrocarbons, despite the objections from Greece, Cyprus and Egypt.

"Turkey has strategic interests in eastern Mediterranean and we are determined to protect them against a forum of regional rival countries, so we will continue to have a say in Libya, that's only natural because the Libyan government has requested Turkey's military support," a Turkish diplomatic source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The same source insisted that Turkey was not fighting with arms on the battlefield "like other countries and their proxies" but on the diplomacy front and that the Berlin summit was the fruit of these efforts.

Turkey has officially denied sending Syrian rebels to Tripoli, which some Western media claimed.