Italy, Turkey, Libya hold summit as Meloni prioritizes migration: What to know
Three leaders met in Istanbul as Italy leads efforts to curb irregular migration from Libya and Ankara balances between Tripoli and eastern Libya.
ANKARA — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, the head of Libya’s internationally recognized Tripoli-based government, in Istanbul Friday as Rome leads European efforts to prevent irregular migration from Libya to the continent.
What happened: The main topic of the two-hour talks was irregular migration, according to a statement released by the Turkish side afterward.
“At the summit, President Erdogan stressed the importance of cooperation among the three countries in tackling the challenges facing the Mediterranean basin, including irregular migration flows,” the statement said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Ibrahim Kalin, the head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization, also joined the talks, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
