Turkish, Italian, Libyan leaders meet to address migration and Libya’s stability

Istanbul: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah in Istanbul on Friday for a summit centered on addressing migration, enhancing cooperation, and supporting Libya’s political stability.

A statement issued by Meloni’s office following the closed-door session said the three discussed strengthening cooperation in the Mediterranean region, starting with the management of migration flows.

Meloni praised the “excellent results achieved” through collaboration with Turkey on migration control, saying that the lessons learned from working with

Ankara should be used to support the Libyan Government of National Unity’s efforts on migration, according to a statement by her office.

Erdogan stated that “long-term and sustainable” solutions were needed to eliminate the root cause of migration, according to a statement from his office.

Libya is a dominant transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East. Drowning incidents near the country’s coast have been common.