ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted a mini-summit in Istanbul on Friday with the prime ministers of Italy and Libya’s UN-recognised government for talks on several issues including migration, officials said.

Images from what the Turkish presidency called “Turkey-Italy-Libya cooperation summit” at Erdogan’s Istanbul office showed leaders gathered around a table. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also attended the talks.

At the meeting, Erdogan said it was important to cooperate in addressing the challenges faced by the Mediterranean basin, including irregular migration movements.

He also said long-term and sustainable solutions “are needed to eliminate the root causes of irregular migration”.

Libya has been gripped by unrest since the 2011 overthrow and killing of long-time ruler Moamer Qadhafi in a Nato-backed uprising.

The country is now divided between the UN-recognised government in Tripoli and a rival administration based in the east of the country run by military leader Khalifa Haftar.

It has become a hub for tens of thousands of migrants trying to reach Europe, risking their lives at sea.

Published in Dawn, Aug 2nd, 2025