Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced Monday in a statement to the media that Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi should step down to allow a peaceful transition of power.
Davutoglu made the statement at a joint news conference with the head of the Libyan revolutionary movement, Mustafa Abdul Jaleel.
“During this transitional process a ceasefire should be established and Qaddafi should leave the leadership,” the Turkish diplomat advised. The Libyan national transitional council headed by Jaleel, he said, is “a legal and credible representative of the Libyan people.”
Turkey proposed a “road map” plan that included the departure of Qaddafi and his family, according to Reuters.
“Our objective is a political solution for the bloodshed to stop, but the depends on the condition that Qaddafi and his family leave,” Jaleel said. “the main aim of this operation is to protect civilians. This is not a crusade.”
The Libyan opposition leader also met with Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul.