At a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the international community to increase pressure on Libyan general Khalifa Haftar, DW reported.

Terrorist organizations should not reinforce their positions, he said on Friday, warning of the danger of a new deterioration in the situation in Libya.

According to Erdogan, the atmosphere of chaos in the North African country can have negative consequences for the entire Mediterranean region.

During the civil war in Libya since 2011, over 2,500 people have already been killed and 7,500 injured, he further noted, accusing Haftar and his Libyan National Armyof attacks on the civilian population. The Turkish president praised the outcome of the Libyan settlement conference held in Berlin on January 19 and highlighted the importance of supporting peaceful forces in Libya.

 Merkel called on Ankara to provide more substantial freedoms to universities and research institutions.

According to both leaders, the German-Turkish University, which now has about 2,300 students, is an example of bilateral cooperation in higher education and science.

Merkel praised Ankara’s consent to accept over two million Syrian refugees as part of an agreement with the EU.

At a conference on Libya in Berlin, a deal was reached on a ban on the supply of arms to Libya and the end of military support for the parties to the conflict in that country. The document was signed by representatives of 16 countries and organizations. The talks unanimously recognized that the protracted conflict in the North African country could not be resolved by military means. The meeting stated the goal of turning the current ceasefire into a long-term truce.

The civil war in Libya continues since 2011, it began after the overthrow of the Muammar Gaddafi's regime.