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Erdogan Looks to Diplomacy Amid Concerns About Military Deploymentin Libya

Dorian Jones

   ISTANBUL - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is accusing Libyan
   militia leader General Khalifa Haftar of violating a cease-fire
   agreement. Despite deploying Turkish forces to back the Libyan
   Government of National Accord (GNA), though, Erdogan seems to be
   increasingly looking to diplomacy rather than force.

   "He [Haftar] says he agreed to a cease-fire, but two days subsequent,
   he bombed the [Tripoli] airport. So how can we trust him?" Erdogan said
   Friday in Istanbul with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

   Haftar's forces control most of Libya intheirwar against the
   U.N.-recognized GNA.

   Merkel on Sunday hosted an international summit in Berlin aimed at
   resolving the Libyan civil war. A 55-article road map to end the
   conflict wasdrawn upat the meeting, which Erdogan attended.

   Erdogan challenged Merkel at thenewsconference, however, to confirm
   whether Haftar hadsigned the Berlin agreement. A visibly uncomfortable
   Merkel confirmed he only orally agreed to it, notingthatofficialswere
   still waiting for hissignature.

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