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| Russia and Turkey Make Joint Call for Cease-Fire in Libya | Russia and Turkey Make Joint Call for Cease-Fire in Libya |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| ISTANBUL — Russia and Turkey called in a joint statement on Wednesday for a cease-fire in Libya to begin Saturday night, stepping in to provide the military muscle to try to resolve a conflict that Western powers and the United Nations have struggled to end. | ISTANBUL — Russia and Turkey called in a joint statement on Wednesday for a cease-fire in Libya to begin Saturday night, stepping in to provide the military muscle to try to resolve a conflict that Western powers and the United Nations have struggled to end. |
| The statement was delivered by the Russian and Turkish foreign ministers after President Vladimir V. Putin and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met and presided over a ceremony to inaugurate the TurkStream gas pipeline in Istanbul. | The statement was delivered by the Russian and Turkish foreign ministers after President Vladimir V. Putin and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met and presided over a ceremony to inaugurate the TurkStream gas pipeline in Istanbul. |
| “Today our President Erdogan and Russian Head of State Putin are making a call for a truce in Libya, starting from midnight on Jan. 12, the night from Saturday to Sunday,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced. | “Today our President Erdogan and Russian Head of State Putin are making a call for a truce in Libya, starting from midnight on Jan. 12, the night from Saturday to Sunday,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced. |
| The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, confirmed those details. | The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, confirmed those details. |
| “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 Jan. 12, declare a sustainable cease-fire, supported by the necessary measures to be taken for stabilizing the situation on the ground,” the joint statement said. | “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 Jan. 12, declare a sustainable cease-fire, supported by the necessary measures to be taken for stabilizing the situation on the ground,” the joint statement said. |
| The cease-fire was aimed at supporting a resumption of United Nations-backed negotiations between the warring parties in the Libyan conflict and assist further talks in Berlin, the statement said. | The cease-fire was aimed at supporting a resumption of United Nations-backed negotiations between the warring parties in the Libyan conflict and assist further talks in Berlin, the statement said. |
| It is not clear how much Russia and Turkey can influence events on the ground, but Mr. Putin and Mr. Erdogan have met regularly to discuss military deployments in Syria, and have also declared Libya policy a priority to prevent further conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean region. | It is not clear how much Russia and Turkey can influence events on the ground, but Mr. Putin and Mr. Erdogan have met regularly to discuss military deployments in Syria, and have also declared Libya policy a priority to prevent further conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean region. |
| Russia and Turkey support different sides in the Libyan conflict. Russian contract soldiers have been deployed for months in support of the commander in eastern Libya, Gen. Khalifa Hifter, who is attempting to seize control of the capital, Tripoli. | Russia and Turkey support different sides in the Libyan conflict. Russian contract soldiers have been deployed for months in support of the commander in eastern Libya, Gen. Khalifa Hifter, who is attempting to seize control of the capital, Tripoli. |
| Turkey has been supporting forces loyal to the United Nations-backed government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj in Tripoli and announced last week that it would deploy troops to coordinate and train Libyan forces after its Parliament passed a resolution to assist the Libyan government. | Turkey has been supporting forces loyal to the United Nations-backed government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj in Tripoli and announced last week that it would deploy troops to coordinate and train Libyan forces after its Parliament passed a resolution to assist the Libyan government. |
| The deployment remains small, with 35 Turkish troops in Libya so far, led by a lieutenant general who will command an operations center, Turkish media outlets have reported. | The deployment remains small, with 35 Turkish troops in Libya so far, led by a lieutenant general who will command an operations center, Turkish media outlets have reported. |
| The two presidents appeared to have made the decision between themselves and presented it almost as a snub to European and other powers that have supported different sides in the Libyan conflict. | The two presidents appeared to have made the decision between themselves and presented it almost as a snub to European and other powers that have supported different sides in the Libyan conflict. |
| Their statement stressed the call for a cease-fire was part of a larger plan to support a peace plan and prevent a humanitarian catastrophe as General Hifter’s forces seized control of the city of Surt on Monday and came closer to threatening the capital | |
| “Seeking a military solution to the ongoing conflict in Libya only causes further suffering and deepens the divisions among Libyans,” the Russian-Turkish statement said. “Securing an immediate cease-fire is the foremost priority to start an inclusive intra-Libyan political process under the U.N. auspices.” | “Seeking a military solution to the ongoing conflict in Libya only causes further suffering and deepens the divisions among Libyans,” the Russian-Turkish statement said. “Securing an immediate cease-fire is the foremost priority to start an inclusive intra-Libyan political process under the U.N. auspices.” |
| Turkey has supported rebel factions that rose up against the former Libyan leader Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi in 2011 and has provided assistance to the Tripoli government alongside Italy. | Turkey has supported rebel factions that rose up against the former Libyan leader Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi in 2011 and has provided assistance to the Tripoli government alongside Italy. |
| Russia only became involved in Libya last year with the absence of the United States in the country, and has joined Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in backing General Hifter. | Russia only became involved in Libya last year with the absence of the United States in the country, and has joined Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in backing General Hifter. |
| Declan Walsh contributed reporting from Cairo. | Declan Walsh contributed reporting from Cairo. |