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Erdoğan, Obama agree Gaddafi must step down, depart Libya
US President Barack Obama had talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, with the leaders agreeing that attacks against civilians must stop and that the Libyan leader must step down and depart from Libya permanently in order for there to be a lasting solution that reflects the will of the Libyan people, according to a readout of the conversation released by the White House.
Erdoğan previously avoided sharpening his tone against Gaddafi and did not directly call on the Libyan leader to step down in the hope that Turkey could secure a possible cease-fire between the Libyan groups engaged in hostilities. Turkey also refused to participate in the military phase of NATO’s operation against forces loyal to Gaddafi but pledged to contribute to an arms embargo and to establishing a humanitarian corridor to help wounded Libyans.
Obama expressed his appreciation for Turkey’s ongoing humanitarian efforts in Libya and its participation in NATO’s no-fly zone and arms embargo operations.
Turkey unveiled earlier this month a roadmap seeking a way out of the impasse for peace in Libya, but neither side in Libya has yet said they endorse the roadmap for peace. Obama’s call came a day after he was heavily criticized by the Turkish government for releasing a “biased and one-sided” statement, marking the Armenian remembrance day on April 24. The White House readout did not indicate if the leaders had discussed the latest developments.
In a recent interview with the Anatolia news agency, US Ambassador to Turkey Francis J. Ricciardone pointed to Turkey’s influence in shaping discussions at NATO regarding its policy in Libya and stressed that the two allies are in close consultations beyond the scope of NATO with respect to developments in the region and constantly continue to have high-level meetings.
‘Deep concern’ over Syria
The two leaders also expressed their “deep concern” about the Syrian government’s “unacceptable use of violence” against its own people. The White House statement said the leaders had agreed that the Syrian government “must end the use of violence now” and promptly enact meaningful reforms that respect the democratic aspirations of Syrian citizens.
Obama’s conversation with Erdoğan came on the heels of preparation by the US administration to slap new travel limits and financial penalties on Syrian leaders as a ruthless crackdown on Syrian protesters intensified in the past two days. Both countries released strongly worded statements over the weekend, demanding the end of violence in the country, a visible increase in the tone of the calls.
Nearly 150 people were killed in the past few days as Syria intensified its raids against demonstrators calling for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Known for his close ties with Assad, Erdoğan earlier said the Syrian president had assured him he will swiftly make reforms that meet the people’s expectations.
Washington is mindful of its limited ability to influence Damascus, which is already under a set of US economic sanctions and is closely allied with US foe Iran. Finally, the president expressed his hope to Erdoğan that Turkey and Israel will find opportunities to improve their relations in the interest of regional stability.
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