Turkey, Libya agree to lift visa requirements to boost bilateral ties

As part of Turkey's policy of fostering friendly ties with neighboring and regional countries, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday arrived in Tripoli for a three-day official visit at the invitation of his Libyan counterpart Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi. Speaking to reporters after meeting with Erdogan, al-Mahmoudi announced that Turkey and Libya have agreed to mutually lift visa requirements with an eye to improving bilateral relations. Al- Mahmoudi said Turkish and Libyan citizens can visit each other's countries without need for visas during the coming Feast of the Sacrifice (Eid ul-Adha), one of Islam's major holidays. Erdogan and al-Mahmoudi later co-chaired an interdelegational meeting where ways of boosting bilateral ties were discussed in depth. Afterwards, Erdogan was received by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in a tent at the Bab-al Aziza Palace. Meeting his guest in front of the palace, Gaddafi gave Erdogan a warm welcome. During their two-hour-plus meeting, Gaddafi reportedly praised Turkey's foreign policy of recent years, and proposed the two countries work together in Africa. Citing Istanbul's Ottoman-era role as the capital of various nations in the region, Gaddafi also said Istanbul can play a key role in improving cooperation among regional countries even today. For his part, Erdogan told Gaddafi about Turkey's project to make Istanbul a regional and global finance center. Erdogan also conveyed to Gaddafi President Abdullah Gul's invitation to visit Turkey. Erdogan and Gaddafi together also enjoyed a walk in the palace garden, and Gaddafi later hosted a banquet in his honor. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Erdogan thanked Gaddafi for his generous hospitality, saying he had felt at home. Stating that they had had the opportunity to discuss steps to improve bilateral ties and cooperation in a number of areas, Erdogan said he hopes Gaddafi will soon visit Turkey. Yesterday Erdogan also addressed a meeting of the Libyan-Turkish Forum in Tripoli. Speaking to reporters, State Minister for Foreign Trade Zafer Caglayan, accompanying Erdogan, said to date Turkey has undertaken projects worth $21 billion in Libya, adding that it promises Turkish entrepreneurs billions of dollars in business. The government is constantly working to raise Turkey's trade volume with Libya, Caglayan said, adding that Turkey also reached an agreement with Libyan's public works minister to meet every three months to discuss problems. There are lucrative business opportunities in Libya for Turkish businesspeople, he added.