President Trump Discusses Libya and Syria with Erdogan

The White House has revealed that President Trump spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in an effort to come to a solution on the problems facing Syria and Libya.

According to The Hill:

President Trump spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday about the conflict in Libya and fighting in Syria’s Idlib province, according to the White House.

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“The leaders discussed bilateral and regional issues,” White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said in a statement. “President Trump pointed out that foreign interference is complicating the situation in Libya. The leaders agreed on the need for de-escalation in Idlib, Syria, in order to protect civilians.”

The call between Trump and Erdoğan came after Turkey’s Parliament approved a bill allowing the government to send troops to support the Libyan government in the civil war taking place in the country.

The Libyan government has been fighting Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army, which is backed by Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. U.S. officials have expressed concerns about the conflict amid reports of Russian mercenaries backing Haftar’s forces.

The relationship with Turkey has been tense and the call shows that progress is at least trying to be made by the Trump administration.