Erdogan says Berlin talks 'important step' to cement Libya ceasefire

• We see the Berlin summit as an important step on the way to cementing ceasefire and a political solution, says Erdogan.
• He hoped that an international peace conference on Libya would be an important step.

ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said he hoped that an international peace conference on Libya would be an "important step" to cement the country's fragile ceasefire, ahead of the talks in Germany.

"We see the Berlin summit as an important step on the way to cementing ceasefire and a political solution," Erdogan told reporters at an Istanbul airport before leaving to attend the talks.

But he warned that progress in efforts for peace after the January 12 ceasefire was agreed "should not be sacrificed to the ambitions of blood and chaos merchants".