Libya’s transitional government officials have not commented on local news reports about an expected visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the capital, Tripoli, later this week.

“There is no confirmed information about the visit,” Libyan National Army spokesman Major General Ahmed al-Mismari told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He noted that such visits are usually held in secret and announced to the media later.

Meanwhile, Minister of Transportation Muhammad Salem al-Shahoubi requested the Turkish authorities to cancel visas for Libyan citizens to facilitate trade and investment relations between the two countries.

Turkey plays a key role in the Government of National Unity’s (GNU) current development projects, he told Turkish media.

In this context, the preparatory committee for the Libyan-Turkish Forum for Project Development discussed on Wednesday the work mechanism of the participating delegations, as well as the role and agendas of the relevant ministries, agencies and research centers.