Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar received Monday the commander of Libya's Naval Forces in the capital Ankara, according to a statement by the Turkish Defense Ministry.

The statement said that in his meeting with Chief of Naval Staff Abdul Hakim Abu Huliya, Hulusi Akar said Turkey stood by Libya's legitimate government, which is recognized by the UN, to ensure peace and lasting stability in the country.

Akar reiterated that Ankara would continue its military and security training and consultancy efforts with Libya, with which Turkey has 500 years of common history and historical fraternal ties, the statement said.

He reiterated that Libya belongs to Libyans, stressing that Turkey supports an independent and sovereign Libya with territorial integrity and political unity.

Last November, Turkey and Libya signed a security and military cooperation agreement as we as a maritime agreement for border demarcation and cooperation.