The Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Ankara won’t sit for dialogue with Khalifa Haftar because he is "a mercenary who has not legal or legitimate status".

Erdogan said, according to Anadolu Agency, that Ankara will continue to hold meetings with the Head of the Presidential Council Fayez Al-Sarraj as the only legitimate party in Libya, expressing disappointment that western countries had invited Haftar to the same place they invited Al-Sarraj.

The Turkish President added that his country is training the forces under the command of the Government of National accord (GNA), expressing bewilderment over the fact that the West isn’t holding accountable 2500 Russian Wagner Group’s fighters that are fighting alongside Haftar. Erdogan indicated that Sudanese and Russian mercenaries’ number had reached 15000 terrorists.

He added on Saturday in a separate event that his country's policy in Libya and Syria isn't an adventure or a haphazard choice, saying if Ankara escaped the fighting in Syria, Libya and Mediterranean, the cost will be very high on the future.

Meanwhile, Erdogan and the Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed on the phone the latest developments in Libya, stressing the need for implementing Berlin conference conclusions and reaching settlement in Libya, according to The Kremlin.