The migration route from Libya across the Mediterranean, used by thousands seeking a way to get to Europe, was a top issue at a meeting on Friday between the leaders of Turkey, Italy and Libya in Istanbul, Turkey's presidency said.
Migrants on a fiberglass boat wait to be assisted by NGO Open Arms rescue boat "Astral" in international waters south of Lampedusa, in the Mediterranean Sea, July 24, 2025. Reuters/Ana Beltran
The migration route from Libya across the Mediterranean, used by thousands seeking a way to get to Europe, was a top issue at a meeting on Friday between the leaders of Turkey, Italy and Libya in Istanbul, Turkey's presidency said.
President Tayyip Erdogan met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah to discuss migration and other potential cooperation areas.
"Erdogan pointed to the importance of the cooperation between the three countries against the tests that the Mediterranean basin is facing, including irregular migration flows," the presidency said in a statement.
He added that "long-term and sustainable solutions" were needed to stop such migration flows, and that a multilateral coordination was needed to achieve this, it said.
Major energy exporter Libya, long split between rival eastern and western factions, is one of the main jumping off points for migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa.
Rival regional powers - Russia, Turkey, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates - have also been drawn into its political divisions.
NATO member Turkey has militarily and politically supported Libya's Tripoli-based internationally-recognised government. In 2020, it sent military personnel there to train and support its government and later agreed a maritime demarcation accord, which has been disputed by Egypt and Greece.
In 2022, Ankara and Tripoli also signed a preliminary accord on energy exploration, which Egypt and Greece also oppose.
NATO allies Turkey and Italy meanwhile have strong ties, and have pledged to boost cooperation in the defence industry, while also increasing their reciprocal trade.
Italy's Leonardo and Turkey's Baykar announced in March that they were setting up a joint venture to produce unmanned aerial vehicles, while Ankara has been inching closer to securing a procurement of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from a consortium that includes Italy.
Erdogan's office also said the three leaders agreed to meet to evaluate any decisions taken by their cooperation committees later.
(Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever and Tuvan GumrukcuEditing by Frances Kerry)
Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever and Tuvan Gumrukcu
The mayor of Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city and a bastion of its secular opposition, joined President Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AK Party (AKP) on Wednesday, giving it the mayoralty of a city it has never won at the ballot box.
Israelis will on Wednesday mark three years since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, triggering a military assault that destroyed much of Gaza, where conditions remain dire despite a year-old ceasefire that is meant to halt the war for good.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Ankara and Istanbul from October 21 to 23, his office said on Tuesday, in what will be the first dedicated bilateral visit to NATO ally Turkey by a Canadian leader.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.