Russia and Turkey call for ceasefire in Libya

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin called for a ceasefire in Libya, following talks in Istanbul on 8 January.
In a joint statement, the presidents reaffirmed their “strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya”.
“We have decided to take the initiative and, as intermediaries, call on all parties in Libya to stop hostilities as of 00.00 hours on 12 January, declare a sustainable ceasefire, supported by the necessary measures to be taken for stabilizing the situation on the ground and normalizing daily life in Tripoli and other cities”, they said.
The two leaders back rival sides in the conflict. Last week, Turkey’s parliament passed a bill allowing the government to send troops to Libya’s UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), which has been in conflict with the warlord Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army, whose forces are supported by Russia, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
Since September, negotiations known as the Berlin peace process were held with the participation of France, Italy, Germany, and the UK, in an effort to put an end to the Libyan conflict.
“We support the ongoing Berlin Process, which aims to create a conducive atmosphere to revitalize the UN-facilitated political process,” said the statement in which the leaders remind that the process can yield tangible results “with the involvement and commitment of Libyans and neighboring countries”.
The GNA said late on 8 January that it welcomed any “serious call” to return to political talks.