'Turkey Did Its Part For Peace, Cease-Fire In Libya'

Turkey did its part to promote a cease-fire and peace in Libya under the leadership of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's foreign minister said Tuesday, hours after the fate of a cease-fire appeared in doubt, as one side walked away from the deal.

"Turkey did and will do its part for a cease-fire and peace in Libya under the leadership of our president," Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara, Turkey's capital. "But in the current context, it is clear who wants peace or war, who wants or doesn't want to forge unity in Libya."

Following talks in Moscow, late Monday the head of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj signed the cease-fire deal, but Khalifa Haftar, the Eastern Libya-based commander, left for Libya Tuesday without signing it, after asking for the night to mull the deal.

On Jan. 12, the warring sides of the Libyan conflict announced a cease-fire in response to a call by Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and on Monday the sides gathered in Moscow to sign a cease-fire towards ending hostilities and starting political dialogue.

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 UN and international recognition. -