World Bulletin/News Desk

Libya's self-declared prime minister, who runs a rival government not recognised by the international community, met a Turkish envoy on Tuesday, in the first publicly known diplomatic meeting with a foreign representative.

Libya has had two governments and parliaments competing for legitimacy since an armed group seized Tripoli in August. Omar al-Hasi set up his own cabinet in the capital and forced the internationally recognised prime minister, Abdullah Thinni, to move to the east of the country.

Hasi met Turkey's special envoy for Libya, Emrullah Isler, in Tripoli, Hasi's government said on its website. It showed a picture of the meeting in the prime minister's office, which had been previously used by Thinni.

The United Nations and Western powers have tried to bring both sides to the negotiating table to end the country's chaos but have avoided recognising or dealing publicly with Hasi, who was elected by the rival assembly in Tripoli.

Isler had previously visited Tobruk, a town in Libya's far east where the elected parliament allied to Thinni has moved.

Emrullah Isler, believes that the crisis in Libya can be overcome by national dialogue and deliberation.

Addressing the media after his two-day visit to Libya, Isler called for an end to violence in the country.

"The international community should examine the situation in Libya carefully," Isler said. "A foreign approach to the issue is intolerable."

The special envoy for Libya also said there will be direct Turkish Airlines flights to Libya's northwestern city of Misrata as of 26 October. 

Libya has been dogged by political instability since the 2011 ouster and death of strongman Muammar Gaddafi.

Since then, rival militias have frequently locked horns, bringing violence to Libya's main cities.

The sharp political divisions in Libya have yielded two rival seats of government, each of which its own set of institutions.

Two assemblies are currently vying for legislative authority: the recently-elected House of Representatives, which convenes in Tobruk; and the General National Congress, which -- even though its mandate ended in August -- continues to convene in the country's capital, Tripoli.

The two parliaments support two different governments, headquartered in the two respective cities.