Europe

Europe

Turkey offers cash support to Libyans

24 August 2011 01:19 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says all frozen Libyan assets should be returned "to the service of the Libyan people" during his visit to the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, APA reports quoting Press TV.

Davutoglu made the remarks in a joint press conference with head of Libya’s Transitional National Council (TNC) Mustafa Abdul Jalil after he arrived in Benghazi on Tuesday morning, AP said.

The Turkish foreign minister also said the North African country was in urgent need of financial resources.

Davutoglu visited Benghazi before a meeting in Istanbul on Thursday between diplomats from the "contact group" of nations discussing Libya’s issues.

Turkey in July recognized the TNC, which is based in Benghazi, as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people.

Also on Tuesday, fierce fighting broke out between Libyan opposition forces and government troops near Muammar Gaddafi’s main compound Bab al-Aziziyah in the capital city of Tripoli.

The regime tanks shelled the opposition fighters, who were trying to seize the compound.

Libya has been the scene of intense fighting between regime troops and fighters since a revolution seeking to topple Gaddafi began in mid-February.