Cyprus holds talks with rival Libya administration

Cyprus has stepped up its campaign against the UN-recognised Libyan government’s increasingly close military ties with Turkey, hosting talks on Saturday with a leading figure in the rival Libyan administration.

The speaker of Libya’s eastern-based parliament, Aguila Saleh, met his Cypriot counterpart Demetris Syllouris, his adviser Hamid al-Safi told reporters in Libya’s main eastern city Benghazi.

Saleh urged Cyprus, an EU member state, to withdraw its recognition from the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), because it has “lost its legitimacy and wants to sell Libya to foreigners”, Safi said.