Turkey meets Libyan rebels, tells Qaddafi to quit
Source : Agencies
ANKARA | 23 May 2011
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that Turkey saw Libya's National Transitional Council as a legitimate and recognized representative of Libyan people.
Holding a joint press conference with the Council's Chairman Mustafa Abdul-Jalil in Ankara on Monday, Davutoglu said that people in Libya had legitimate demands and there was a need for a political system in line with these demands.
Transition to such a political system should be made by peaceful means, he added.
It was one of the priorities of Turkey to protect territorial integrity of Libya as well as maintain the country's respectful position in international community as a strong and a single state, he noted.
Noting that Turkey tried all diplomatic ways to settle this, Davutoglu said that however Turkey supported the UN resolutions because violence against civilians continued in Libya.
A Turkish foreign ministry official told journalists after the news conference that this did not mean Turkey recognised the council as sole representative of the Libyan people, Reuters news agency said.
Earlier in the day, Abdul-Jalil and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a meeting too.
"Gaddafi has to quit"
Anadolu news agency quoted Davutoglu as saying "Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has to leave power before any settlement could materialize in Libya."
"Gaddafi needs to step down to lead the way for a comprehensive political transition," Davutoglu told the joint press conference.
Davutoglu said Turkey favored a political settlement in Libya which would guarantee that Libyan people's legitimate demands were met, political transition was secured through peaceful means and a united Libya was recognized as a respected member of the international community.
"We are going through every diplomatic channel openly or secretly to find such a solution to the conflict," Davutoglu said.
"Rebel support for Turkey's road map"
Head of the Libyan opposition forces has expressed support for a peace map that Turkey had proposed to end political unrest in Libya.
'We are supporting the road map that our Turkish brothers have offered. This is a road map which was agreed upon by the coalition forces, and which calls for Gaddafi and his family to leave Libya," Abdul-Jalil said.
Abdul-Jalil thanked Turkey for its support for the anti-Gaddafi forces in Libya saying, "Turkish support is important to negate Gaddafi's allegations that the allied campaign is a medieval crusade."
"Libyan people is grateful for Turkey's support. We are fighting to make sure that democracy is established in North Africa. W are trying to reach a political settlement to stop bloodshed. But Gaddafi and his family have to leave power before any of these could happen," Abdul-Jalil said.
"New regime needs to be established"
Turkish President Abdullah Gul also met Monday with Abdul Jalil in the Turkish capital.
"There is no room anymore for the old administration in Libya. A new regime needs to be established in the shortest possible time, which is free of oppression," Turkish sources close to meeting quoted Gul as telling Abdul-Jalil
Gul was cited as saying that Turkey was ready to extent any help to Libya through the political transition process, and that the council needed to embrace all Libyan people.
