Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (left) describes his country’s relationship with Libya as historic and deep (media office of the authority in Tripoli)

Tripoli -

Informed sources in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, said that the “first visit of its kind” by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan since he took office last June, to Tripoli on February 7, comes within the framework of strengthening the Turkish role in Libya.

Hakan Fidan visited Tripoli with a delegation accompanying him, and met with 3 of the 5 parties to the Libyan crisis, namely the heads of the government: Abdel Hamid Dabaiba, the Presidential Council: Mohamed Al-Manfi, and the Supreme Council of State: Mohamed Takala. He did not meet the other two parties, namely retired Major General Khalifa Haftar and his ally. Politician, Speaker of Parliament, Aguila Saleh.

This visit coincided with what can be described as challenges facing the initiative of the UN envoy to Libya, Abdullah Batili, represented by his call for a five-party dialogue to resolve the differences preventing the holding of elections, an initiative that has been rejected by parties to the crisis so far.

Immediately upon his arrival in Tripoli, the Turkish Foreign Minister met with Turkish military leaders, at the headquarters of the Turkish-Libyan Joint Military Forces, the forces that defeated Major General Haftar’s forces in the south of the capital and the cities west of it in 2020.

Fidan confirmed that his visit to Tripoli aims to support the democratic process and unify the Libyan ranks to achieve stability (media office of the authority in Tripoli)

A pivotal role

Turkey aspires to consolidate its military and political influence in Libya, according to observers, in preparation for what was described as a Turkish strategic launch towards Africa, considering Libya its northern gateway. Fidan announced in statements from Tripoli that he discussed with Dabaiba political and security files related to Libya and regional countries, including the fight against terrorism and illegal immigration. Regularity.

It is not excluded that there is American-Turkish coordination, which aims to compete with the growing Russian role in the African continent in recent years, as this was reflected in Fidan’s assertion that his visit to Tripoli aims to support the democratic path and unify the Libyan ranks, to achieve stability in the country and the entire region, by supporting the launch of a national dialogue between The various Libyan parties, to facilitate reaching a consensual legal basis for holding elections in which everyone participates.

In statements to the government’s official “Our Government” platform, Fidan described the relationship between his country and Libya as “historic and profound,” and assured Dabaiba of “Libya’s unity and stability.” Al Jazeera Net sources considered that Fidan’s statements were in line with Dabaiba’s position and international and international positions demanding holding elections and ending the stages. Perhaps this is what prompted the Prime Minister to announce that “Turkey supports the stability of Libya and international efforts to hold elections.”

Following his meeting with the Turkish minister, the head of the Libyan Presidential Council, Muhammad al-Manfi, also praised what he described as “Turkey’s pivotal role in supporting stability in Libya” and supporting international efforts to hold elections as soon as possible.

Fidan's discussions in Tripoli were not devoid of talk about economic relations between his country and Libya, as he discussed the completion of suspended Turkish projects and the return of Turkish airlines to Libyan airports.

Fidan also confirmed that he discussed with Dabaiba developments on the African continent, where sub-Saharan countries have witnessed wars and military coups, and from which refugees are flowing towards northern Libya, with the aim of heading towards southern Europe.

The Dabaiba government signed a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding with Turkey in the security, military, media and economic fields (media office of the authority in Tripoli)

Historical relations

For many years, the regime of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had close relations with Turkey, especially with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who visited Tripoli when he was prime minister in 2009, accompanied by the files of dozens of Turkish companies, to obtain contracts for the construction of infrastructure and reconstruction projects.

Turkish companies in the field of construction and infrastructure in Libya are still continuing their work, after settling their differences with the Libyan side regarding these projects, due to the events that the country has witnessed over the past years.

Following the signing of the Skhirat Agreement and the emergence of the Government of National Accord from it, the first foreign visit was by the President of the Presidential Council and Prime Minister at the time, Fayez al-Sarraj, with two members of the Presidential Council, Muhammad Amari and Ahmed Hamza, to Ankara on January 8, 2016, to meet with the Prime Minister of Turkey. At that time, Ahmet Davutoğlu.

Following Haftar's forces' attack on Tripoli in April 2019, Turkey intervened militarily in Libya with its drones and army officers on behalf of the internationally recognized Government of National Accord, and was able to defeat Haftar's forces and force them to withdraw from the south of the capital and the entire west of Libya.

Special Turkish forces from the Turkish army, led by high-ranking officers, participated alongside the Turkish intelligence service in the Battle of Tripoli, and Turkish drones played the most prominent role in resolving the confrontations in favor of the Government of National Accord, which extended its control over all the cities and regions of western Libya.

After the end of the Battle of Tripoli in June 2020, Turkish forces were stationed at the Al-Watiya Air Base southwest of the capital, the Al-Khoms Naval Base east of it, and at the Amitiqa Base inside the capital, and they are still present in their positions until now.

According to one of the leaders of the Government of National Accord, Russian-Turkish relations played a decisive role in stopping the war and drawing a dividing line in the center of Libya that prevented the forces of both parties from crossing it. The international community then decided to arrange the Libyan scene with the Geneva political settlement in February 2021.

Since its military intervention in Libya, Turkey has played a pivotal role in the Libyan crisis, with its main presence in all international conferences that discuss developments in the crisis. This was clearly demonstrated in the Geneva Political Agreement between the parties to the crisis in the post-war phase, which is the settlement that produced the national unity government. And the current Presidential Council.

After assuming the presidency of the government, Abdul Hamid Al-Dabaiba visited Turkey several times, and strongly increased the pace of the relationship between it and his country.

Economic advantage

In exchange for strengthening its relationship with the Libyan West, the Turkish authorities, represented by its intelligence service and its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, communicated with Haftar, his sons, and the presidency of the Libyan Parliament in the eastern region of the country.

During one of his visits to Turkey in August 2022, Aguila Saleh announced that “there is importance for Turkey’s support for the efforts made to bring peace and stability to Libya.”

Following the flood of Derna last September, Turkish companies received contracts for reconstruction projects in the city, and this was after the improvement of relations between Turkey on the one hand and Egypt and the Emirates on the other hand, which are two countries that are allies of Haftar and his sons, who are extending their control over Derna, in addition to Turkey’s desire to expand. In the cities of eastern Libya, which is unique to them because the coasts of some of their cities are adjacent to their territorial waters.

The volume of trade exchange between Libya and Turkey reaches $4 billion, of which energy, logistical services, and construction constitute the most prominent pillars, especially with Libyan executive bodies, such as bodies for developing administrative centers and implementing transportation and utility projects.

Source: Al Jazeera