Libya Contact Group convened in Istanbul with participation of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and foreign ministers of 32 nations that include members of NATO, the EU and the Arab League. The group declared that Gaddafi regime is no longer the representative of the Libyan people, and it formally recognized the rebel National Transitional Council (NTC) as the governing authority in Libya. Members of the contact group pledged to release part of Gaddafi's frozen assets in their countries to provide financial aid to the rebels.
Turkey had earlier announced a road map whose elements included an immediate cease-fire, withdrawal from cities and full access to humanitarian aid. Asked if the Turkish road map was on the table, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said there was only one road map and that it was the contact group's road map.
The participants decided to continue the operations in Ramadan, but Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu wanted a political solution to be found, that would bring about a cease fire until Ramadan.
Source: Cumhuriyet, Vatan, Today's Zaman, July 16, 2011
