Libyan PM: Turkey, Libya should be model for Islamic nations

Libyan Prime Minister Abdel-Rahim al-Keeb has said the combination of secular democracy and political Islam in Turkey and Libya should be a model for other Islamic countries seeking political reform. Speaking to the Anatolia news agency on Tuesday, al-Keeb said Turkey's successful fusion of Islam and secular democracy has served as a template to the fledgling government of Libya. Al-Keeb noted that his first official visit abroad after the downfall of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi last year was to Turkey, a nod to the "priority" Libya had given to a "Turkey-inspired" political transformation. Noting that Turkey supported the Libyan people during the civil war, al-Keeb expressed hope that Turkey and Libya would have strong relations in the future, adding that he had developed a close working relationship with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the past year.