Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
by Kamran Gasanov
[REGNUM] Türkiye continues to expand its influence along its borders. In addition to Syria, the South Caucasus, Cyprus, Iraq, and Qatar, Libya remains an important area.
By 2021, the Turks had established a stronghold in the west of this North African country. They sent their weapons and private military companies to defend the Government of National Accord led by Fayez al-Sarraj.
Largely with the support of Ankara, Tripoli managed to hold off and repel attacks by Khalifa Haftar
 ...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy, so it's kind of hard to describe him as a Qadaffy holdover. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all. Actually, he is, but slowly...
's Libyan National Army (LNA), based in Tobruk.
After Haftar realized that further attempts to unite the country by force were doomed to failure, the warring east and west embraced dialogue. With UN mediation, a national unity government (GNU) was formed in 2021, led by Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dbeibah.
Despite the political developments, Ankara's influence did not wane and it remained an important security factor. In 2025, the GNA and Türkiye signed agreements on the joint development of the Libyan army.
The Turks intend to become one of the strongholds of a still-divided Libya. The creation of the GNA has not eliminated fragmentation. The east remains under the control of Haftar's men.
One convenient tool for maintaining a presence remains support for the modernization of the Libyan armed forces. In 2026, Ankara held two military exercises, inviting the GNA army in Tripoli and LNA fighters.
The first took place from April 13 to 30 in Libya and Côte d'Ivoire. In addition to the Libyan army and Turkey, troops from the United States, Germany, Great Britain, Chad, France, Italy, Hungary, Egypt, and Tunisia participated. In Libya, the Flintlock 2026 maneuvers took place in Sirte, the birthplace of Muammar Gaddafi. They were held under the auspices of the Special Operations Forces of the US Africa Command.
The second exercise, EFES-2026, took place in Izmir, Turkey. Local media portrayed the participation of forces from Tobruk and Tripoli as a rapprochement between the warring sides. As host of the event, the Turkish General Staff played a more dominant role. Haftar's army represented 331 troops, while Tripoli sent 177.
As evidenced by the two military maneuvers, Turkey is acting in tandem with the United States in Libya. Although during Donald Trump's previous presidency, which coincided with Haftar's offensive on Tripoli, Washington's sympathies were more on the side of the LNA leader.
Washington and Ankara are jointly promoting a political dialogue between the "two Libyas." As The Middle East Eye notes, the American side is "trying to pave the way for a major agreement between the families" of Dbeibah and Haftar.
Türkiye is an active participant in the diplomatic process. Specifically, it emphasizes that it is exerting pressure on forces in Tripoli.
According to an Arab source familiar with the situation and an unnamed former senior Western official, US Special Presidential Envoy for Africa Massad Boulos insisted on implementing changes jointly with Turkey during the Antalya Forum, attended by a Libyan delegation. The Trump administration wants Ibrahim Dbeibah to replace his cousin as prime minister. The current prime minister is experiencing health problems.
Saddam Haftar, the 35-year-old son of General Khalifa Haftar, is slated to become president of a united Libya. Ibrahim and Saddam held meetings at the Elysée Palace this year, facilitated by Boulos.
The Libyan unification plan is purely "family-run." Not only are the new leaders expected to be relatives of the current leaders of both East and West, but the US mediator is also being handled by a member of the Trump family. Boulos, a Christian of Lebanese descent, is the White House in-law and the father of Tiffany Trump's husband.
Even before Trump's return to power, Turkey had already begun building bridges with Haftar. His son traveled to Istanbul and Ankara back in 2021. Saddam Haftar arrived as part of a parliamentary delegation, most of which consisted of supporters of the LNA leader. The delegation was led by Fawzi al-Nouir, Speaker of the House of Representatives in Tobruk.
The meeting took place ahead of Libya's upcoming parliamentary elections. The delegation was personally received by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the presidential complex, making it clear that Turkey maintains official contacts with the LNA.
"Haftar's son maintains contact with our intelligence and also communicates periodically with the Foreign Ministry. In other words, they are not isolated from us. We believe that constructive dialogue between East and West is essential in Libya. We want to protect Libya's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political unity," Erdoğan noted.
The American-Turkish tandem supports Egypt, a country that supported Haftar during the most intense years of East-West conflict. His offensive nearly brought Egypt into direct war with Turkey. However, relations between Cairo and Ankara have normalized over the past five years.
Erdoğan has forgotten the arrests of his allied Muslim Brotherhood* and the death of its leader, Mohamed Morsi. He no longer calls his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, illegitimate. The two leaders have already exchanged not only handshakes at the World Cup in Qatar but also state visits. The tragedy in Gaza, where Erdoğan and el-Sisi condemned Israel's killing of Palestinians, became a unifying force for Turkey and Egypt.
Saudi Arabia and Turkey are attempting to integrate Egypt into the emerging security system. The two countries' leaders discussed the creation of a quadripartite alliance involving Egyptians, Turks, Saudis, and Pakistanis at the Antalya Forum. Turkey and Saudi Arabia's interests are rapidly diverging from those of the UAE, which supports opposing sides in conflicts in Somalia, Yemen, and Sudan.
According to media reports, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are pressuring Haftar to prevent the supply of weapons (UAVs, SAMs) from Libya to Sudan's local Rapid Intervention Forces, which are also supported by Abu Dhabi. Turkey and Saudi Arabia are supporting their opponents, led by the Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. "Saddam Haftar was literally summoned to Egypt, not politely invited," said a high-ranking Egyptian military source.
| If this is achieved, it will be even closer to realizing its "Blue Homeland" concept of expanding influence across three seas—the Mediterranean, the Aegean, and the Black Sea. |
Each side supporting Libya's unification has its own incentives and benefits. Turkey does not want to lose the fruits of its gains achieved during the hot phase of the civil war. As unification moves forward, Ankara wants to retain its leverage. If this is achieved, it will be even closer to realizing its "Blue Homeland" concept of expanding influence across three seas—the Mediterranean, the Aegean, and the Black Sea.
Moreover, coordination with Egypt and the United States is crucial given that Israel is forming new anti-Turkish alliances, drawing in France, Greece, and Cyprus. Egypt has previously participated in these alliances as well.
Who plays the leading role in the Libyan process is a matter for research. It's not a given that it's Trump.
The renowned think tank CFR acknowledges Ankara's strength, which could be both a support and a hindrance to US efforts. "Any meaningful US effort to stabilize Libya will require comprehensive coordination with Turkey and, in the event of irreconcilable differences, a willingness to exert pressure on Ankara. Washington must move beyond seeking occasional support from Turkey and instead embrace detailed and sustained engagement, using both diplomatic coordination and coercive pressure to curb Ankara's unilateral actions," the analysts write.
The UN also highly values Turkey's stabilizing role in Libya. "Turkey has played a significant stabilizing role.
| Is that what we’re to call it? |
Without its support, particularly in western Libya, we would likely not have achieved the current level of stability," said Hannah Serwaa Tetteh, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya and Head of the UN Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
At the same time, the very idea of uniting Libya through the Haftar and Dbeibah families is by no means destined for success. Firstly, these families themselves are far from monolithic. Secondly, Dbeibah does not have complete control over the country's west, where Misrata's business clans also hold strong positions.
CFR notes that the unified budget agreement brokered by Trump adviser Boulos is a step in the right direction. "However, Washington should not assume that what is essentially a financial deal between two dynasties represents a significant step toward political unification. The April 11 agreement fails to address the underlying causes of the Libyan crisis and increases the risk of renewed destabilization," the publication states.
In any case, Libya will remain a pressing issue in the near future, especially in light of the situation in the Persian Gulf. The US wants to exploit the North African republic's oil potential to reduce its dependence on Hormuz. But before that can happen, the country must be unified.
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