Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Analysis: Turkey Has Been in Libya Since Gaddafi's Fall


Sun 01 Dec 2019 | 02:12 PM
Yassmine Elsayed

The recent MOU that has been signed between Turkey and Libya regarding the maritime borders is one of the examples how Ankara looks to boost its intervention and enhance its influence in war torn Libya.

The deal which drew international denouncement, aimed at demarcating the maritime borders, help Turkey expand its exclusive economic zones, and strengthen its hand in competition for control of energy resources and supply routes in the eastern Mediterranean.

Turkey used to intervene in Libya's domestic affairs since the fall of the regime of Muammar Gaddafi. Turkey, a NATO member, was in a very difficult position during NATO's decision to log into the crisis against the former regime.

After establishing close ties with the Gaddafi regime and gaining significant contracts for Turkish companies, Ankara tried to resist the British and French desire to intervene. That was before realizing later that the whole situation was gradually turning against Gaddafi.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan quickly changed his position in an attempt to find a role for Turkey in Libya after the inevitable fall of the regime.

Turkey's relationship with Libya was strengthened when Gaddafi gave it spare parts to operate its US-made aircraft during the US arms embargo imposed by the United States as a result of the Turkish army's invasion of northern Cyprus in 1974. In return, Turkish construction companies quickly became the main foreign business players in Libya.

Later after Gaddafi's fall, Turkey evacuated 25,000 workers during the uprising, which was backed by NATO.

Since then, Turkey has worked to maintain close links with the Islamist groups. Turkish diplomacy in Libya has in recent years devoted a clear bias to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Turkish Ambassador to the country Serhat Aksin has intensified his multiple visits to the house of Abdul Rahman Al-Suwaihli, former head of the Supreme State Council, which many describe as a Qatari man in Libya.

Moreover, Ankara has hosted leaders accused by the Libyan judiciary of “involvement in crimes of violence, terrorism and national security,” such as Abdelhakim Belhadj, who is accused by the Libyan National Army of having “seized a lot of money in 2011,” as well as Ali. Al-Sallabi, who has a strong relationship with the "Libyan Fighting Group" and is named in the "lists of terrorism."

Ankara also hosts leaders from the so-called Benghazi Shura Council, which is classified as a terrorist organization, including Ahmed al-Majbari and Tariq Balaam.

Ankara also strengthened ties with Misrata militias at a time when Libya was rife with insecurity and political turmoil in the wake of Gaddafi's fall.

Eight years ago, Ankara put its weight behind the Tripoli government, which is fighting the campaign by the military commander in the east, Khalifa Haftar, to eliminate extremist players and unite Libya.

Turkey did not hide its military support to the forces controlling Tripoli. Erdogan revealed in June that Turkey "provides weapons to the Government of National Accord" led by Fayez El Serag, saying that these military equipment allowed Tripoli to "rebalance" in the face of the Libyan army forces.

To illustrate the widening Turkish role in Libya, Libyan National Army spokesperson Ahmed al-Mesmari revealed that "Ankara was involved in supporting terrorist militias but also it had been "fighting since 2014 with terrorist groups in Benghazi, Derna and other cities."

Earlier, Bloomberg quoted two officials saying that Turkey's main aim of supporting the Tripoli-based government, is to ensure that it can eventually resume construction projects worth about $ 18 billion.

Tripoli government boasted of the support it received from Ankara, published photographs of Turkish-made armored vehicles, several weeks after it was revealed that the Turkish side was arming Serag's forces.