Turkish Defense Minister meets Libyan army chief in Ankara to boost military cooperation
Turkish National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler on Tuesday held talks in Ankara with Libyan Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, amid ongoing efforts to deepen defense and security cooperation between Türkiye and Libya.
According to a statement from Türkiye’s Ministry of National Defense, the Libyan military chief was hosted at the ministry following an official invitation extended by his Turkish counterpart, Chief of the Turkish General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu. Commander of the Turkish Land Forces, General Metin Tokel, also took part in the meeting.
While official details of the closed-door talks were not immediately disclosed, diplomatic and military sources said discussions focused on strengthening bilateral military cooperation, training programs, defense industry collaboration, and regional security developments, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa.
The meeting comes as Türkiye continues to play a key role in supporting Libya’s security institutions under bilateral agreements signed with the internationally recognized Libyan authorities. Ankara has provided military training, advisory support, and technical assistance to Libyan forces in recent years, emphasizing the importance of a unified and professional national army in Libya.
Sources indicated that the talks also addressed coordination mechanisms between the two armed forces, efforts to combat terrorism and irregular migration, and the latest political and security developments inside Libya. The situation in southern Libya and border security were also reportedly discussed.
Following the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining close military dialogue and expanding cooperation within the framework of existing agreements, stressing respect for Libya’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The visit by General al-Haddad is seen as part of a broader series of high-level engagements between Ankara and Tripoli, reflecting Türkiye’s continued involvement in Libya’s stabilization efforts and its strategic partnership with the North African country. (ILKHA)
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