Erdogan watched Turkish Super Lig visiting Merkel: On the way to Merkel: Erdogan looks at Süper Lig in the car.
- In Berlin, the world's powers negotiated peace in Libya.
- But big politics is obviously not all that matters to them.
- Football was played in the Turkish President's car until the very last moment.
The Libya conference in Berlin ended with an agreement. Chancellor Angela Merkel announced in the evening that the partners agreed to respect and enforce the arms embargo for the country in the future. But the big politics was obviously not everything that had interested the politicians that day.
Around 2 p.m., a limousine dropped Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in front of the Berlin Chancellery. When Erdogan gets out, a photographer from the dpa news agency shoots him from the side - and allows a look inside the car. To see there: A tablet is attached to the back of the passenger seat. There is obviously a football game on it - presumably the game Galatasaray against Denizlispor that was running at the time.
Erdogan watched Turkish Super Lig visiting Merkel
Libya summit in Berlin: Erdogan watches football in the car
Erdogan is well known as a football fan. He supports the Istanbul football club Basaksehir FK. At the wedding of the former international Mesut Özil, he appeared as a best man.
Ultimately, politics was the focus of the day in Berlin. Erdogan let football be football and got out to pose for the photographers with Chancellor Merkel and then negotiate the situation in Libya. If you believe the Chancellor's words, the country has a new chance for peace after the conference. And Erdogan has time to find out more about the football results.
Conference in Berlin: Libya's head of government calls for protection force
- Putin, Pompeo, Erdogan: Berlin rarely sees such high-ranking politicians in one day.
- A summit at the Chancellery should prepare the way for peace in Libya.
- An important supporter of a conflict party assures support in the implementation of the conference results.
Berlin. Shortly before the start of the Berlin Libya conference, Libyan Prime Minister Fajis al-Sarradsch called for an international protection force should the fighting continue in his country.
"If Chalifa Haftar does not stop his offensive, the international community must take action, including with an international force to protect the Libyan civilian population," Al-Sarradsch told Welt am Sonntag.
"Such a protection force must act under the umbrella of the United Nations. Then experts must advise who is participating, such as the EU or the African Union or the Arab League," said Al-Sarradsch.
Al-Sarradsch doubts the peaceful intentions of his opponent General Chalifa Haftar. "The long experience makes us doubt the intentions, the seriousness and the commitment of the other side," said Al-Sarradsch of the German Press Agency.
"Everyone knows that he strives for power at all costs," said the head of the internationally recognized government based in Tripoli, without naming Haftar by name.
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) brings together actors around the Libya conflict this Sunday under strict security precautions. The aim of the conference with representatives from more than ten countries in the Chancellery is to consolidate the recently agreed ceasefire in Libya and to agree on a consistent implementation of the arms embargo for the civil war country.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are expected to attend.
A civil war broke out in Libya in 2011 after the overthrow and killing of long-term ruler Muammar al-Gaddafi. The government of Al-Sarradsch is internationally recognized, but only holds small areas around the capital Tripoli in the west of the North African state.
General Chalifa Haftar is fighting him with his allies who rule large parts of the oil-rich country. A number of foreign actors are involved, sometimes with military support.
Haftar broke off negotiations on a permanent ceasefire in Libya on Russian-Turkish initiative earlier this week. He had left the Moscow talks without signing an agreement, which Al-Sarradsch signed. Later, Haftar said he agreed to an armistice, according to Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.
"He refused to sign the Russian-Turkish initiative even though he knew what it was before he went to Moscow," said Al-Sarradsch, without giving details of the agreement.
"We didn't attack anyone"
He pledged to defend Tripoli should Haftar continue his offensive on the capital. In the event of further "aggression", Tripoli would be "vigorously" defended until the attackers were forced to flee, said Al-Sarradsch. "We didn't attack anyone."
According to Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD), both Al-Sarradsch and Haftar will be present at the conference in Berlin.
Until recently there had been discussions about the list of participants. Greece and Tunisia complained that they had not been invited. According to the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday, the country was invited on Friday. Tunisia will stay away from the conference. The ministry justified this with the short-term nature of the invitation and with the fact that the country was not part of the preparatory meetings.
Europe has a considerable interest in stability on the south coast of the Mediterranean - also because Libya has traditionally been an important oil supplier to the European Union. The country has also developed into one of the most important transit states for refugees heading north due to the war with arbitrary rule and weakness of the state institutions.