Obama calls leaders of Qatar and Turkey about Libya

By David Jackson, USA TODAY

Seeking to keep allies supportive of the Libyan operation, President Obama spoke today to the leaders of Qatar and Turkey.

The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, has offered aircraft to help maintain a no-fly zone over Libya.

“The president underscored that Qatar’s contribution reflects a real leadership role in the region in support of the Libyan people and again the two leaders underscored the importance of the resolution and the importance of the protection of the Libyan people,” said White House spokesman Ben Rhodes.

Obama also spoke to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. A member of NATO, Turkey has objected to the idea of NATO taking the lead role in military action against another Muslim country.

Turkey also played a key role in the release of four New York Times journalists from Libyan custody.

Obama also spoke by phone today with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

A White House readout of the Turkey call:

The President expressed appreciation for Turkey’s ongoing humanitarian efforts in Libya, including its assistance in facilitating the release and safe passage to Tunisia of four New York Times journalists who had been detained in Libyan custody.

The President and the Prime Minister reaffirmed their support for the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973, in order to protect the Libyan people.

The leaders agreed that this will require a broad-based international effort, including Arab states, to implement and enforce the UN resolutions, based on national contributions and enabled by NATO’s unique multinational command and control capabilities to ensure maximum effectiveness.

They underscored their shared commitment to the goal of helping provide the Libyan people an opportunity to transform their country, by installing a democratic system that respects the people’s will.

via Obama calls leaders of Qatar and Turkey about Libya – The Oval: Tracking the Obama presidency.