Analysis: Does Turkey Seek Military Base in Libya?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has not disclosed real intentions behind his country's intervention into Libya till this moment; however several western reports claimed that Ankara would seek establishment of a military base in Tripoli.

Turkey already has two military bases in both Doha, Qatar, and Mogadishu, Somalia. The main purpose behind such bases is to serve strategies that Erdogan has been following to dominate the Mediterranean Sea.

Turkey maintains approximately 30,000 troops in the internationally unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and there have been reports that it is also contemplating building a naval base there, which would likely be opposed by most of the international community since it would fatally undermine any already remote prospect of Cypriot reunification.

In addition to the strategic and military motivation of the Turkish intervention into Libya, Erdogan and his economic allies believe that the Turkish economy will benefit from the Libyan destroyed infrastructure.

Turkey can achieve huge economic and financial gains if they invest and operate in the country which has been suffering for ten years.

Ideologically, it's reported that the Government of the National Accord in Libya (GNA) is known for its pro-Islamist orientation. In the same time, Turkey's Erdogan is known for his support to the terrorist group of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is already banned in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

After the removal of Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood from the presidency in Egypt, thanks to millions of Egyptians who took to streets protesting against the terrorist group in 2013, Erdogan doesn't want to lose another Brotherhood ally.

Thus, Ankara is doing its best to back the Islamist-oriented GNA, headed by Fayed Al Sarraj.

The conflict in Libya, unfortunately, has become no more between Saraj and the National Army of Libya, under the command of General Khalifa Haftar.

It has become a proxy war among global and regional powers.

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for a meeting on Libya in Berlin in the coming days. Many countries are invited for the Berlin's meeting such as Egypt, the U.S., Algeria, Tunisia, the UAE, Italy, Turkey, France, Greece, Cyprus and Qatar.

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