ANKARA, January 24. /TASS/. If political stability does not return to Libya, chaos in the North African country may spread to the entire Mediterranean region, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cautioned Friday during the opening ceremony of a new wing for the Turkish-German University in Istanbul, also attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"Terrorist groups must not take root in Libya. This applies to Daesh [Arabic for the Islamic State, terror group, outlawed in Russia] and Al-Qaeda [also banned in Russia] terrorists as well. To that end, the political process must be ramped up first and foremost. Should the situation in Libya not stabilize soon, the chaos will spread across the entire Mediterranean region," President Erdogan said, according to Anadolu news agency.

In the meantime, Angela Merkel welcomed the expansion of cooperation with Turkey in the scientific sphere.

Merkel praised the openness of such cultural interaction, extolling the university as an "exceptional example of cooperation, a symbol of the partnership" between Germany and Turkey.

The German leader underscored the importance of education for the refugees, adding that this would enable them to either facilitate the rebuilding of their home countries or enhance their integration into the welcoming countries.

There are two parallel executive authorities in Libya right now at loggerheads for power: the internationally recognized Government of National Accord led by Fayez al Sarraj, and the eastern-based Interim Cabinet led by Abdullah al-Thani, supported by the Libyan Parliament and the Libyan National Army led by Khalifa Haftar. On December 12, 2019, Haftar announced an all-out offensive against Tripoli in a bid to eliminate entrenched terrorist groups.