Washington (CNN) -- Turkey will serve as a "protecting power" for the United States in Libya, senior State Department officials told CNN on Sunday.
As a protecting power, Turkey will represent the United States in Libya, including acting as consular officers on behalf of U.S. citizens in Libya and looking after American diplomatic facilities in the country.
Turkey can also pass messages between the United States and Libya, as what little communication remains between the two countries is likely to come to a grinding halt now that the U.S. is bombing Libyan targets as part of enforcement of a no-fly zone.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/03/20/turkey.us.libya/NEW: Turkey will also represent Italian and British interests