Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s visits to Libya on August 11-12 and Egypt on August 13-14 reflect Türkiye’s effort to adapt to changing political balances in the Middle East and North Africa and to play an influential role in future arrangements.
Türkiye’s regional approach emphasizes military and defense cooperation, normalization with former rivals, economic ties, energy and selective regional coordination. The visits to Libya and Egypt in quick succession created a diplomatic framework in which these issues were addressed together.
Simultaneous engagement with eastern and western Libya
During Libya’s civil war in 2019-2020, Türkiye supported the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord led by Fayiz al-Sarraj, which was recognized by the United Nations. While the forces of Khalifa Haftar were prevented from capturing the capital, military training, defense cooperation, economic relations and the 2019 maritime jurisdiction agreement developed between Türkiye and Libya.
Libya’s political and institutional division, however, created a risk for Türkiye of being excluded in the east despite its strong ties in the west. From autumn 2020, Türkiye gradually increased its contacts with political and economic actors in eastern Libya. This was followed by the participation of Turkish companies in reconstruction projects and deeper relations with political actors in the east.
Fidan’s program in Libya included meetings in Tripoli with Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, Presidential Council President Mohamed al-Menfi, High State Council President Mohamed Miftah Takala and security officials. Fidan also visited the Turkish Armed Forces Libya Task Group Command.
Fidan later held talks in Benghazi with Khalifa Haftar and Saddam Haftar, as well as with House of Representatives Speaker Aguila Saleh and Development and Reconstruction Fund Chairman Belqasim Haftar. These meetings reflect Türkiye’s effort to maintain its existing position in western Libya while keeping communication channels open with power structures in the east.
Search for a new political structure in Libya
Libya has failed to establish a lasting political order since the 2020 ceasefire. Efforts to bring rival institutions in the east and west together under a single interim executive authority and open the way to elections also raise questions about the management of oil revenues, the integration of security institutions, the future of armed groups and the preservation of the gains made by external actors.
Türkiye’s priorities include ensuring that the security and maritime jurisdiction agreements signed in 2019 are maintained by any potential new political structure, preserving Türkiye’s place in a new security architecture if the security institutions are unified, and expanding its economic role in energy, infrastructure and contracting.
As Türkiye develops ties with actors in the east, it must explain to its partners in Tripoli that the move is not a shift in alignment but an effort to adapt to the changing political equation. This approach aims to create a policy more resilient to different political scenarios in Libya.
From bilateral ties with Egypt to regional coordination
Fidan’s trip to Egypt after visiting Libya is significant for moving Ankara-Cairo relations beyond bilateral normalization. The talks also addressed Egypt’s possible participation in the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement formed by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
Fidan described Egypt as a “natural partner,” while Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said that Egyptian institutions were evaluating the matter concerning the agreement. The talks also covered the second meeting of the Türkiye-Egypt Joint Planning Group, a free trade agreement and strengthening transport links among Africa’s coastal states.
Libya, Gaza, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, the Horn of Africa and maritime security were also on the agenda of Fidan’s talks with Abdelatty. The two countries reaffirmed their support for Libya’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, while Egypt reiterated its call for presidential and parliamentary elections to be held simultaneously following the unification of state institutions.
A model of selective coordination
Although Türkiye and Egypt’s interests in Libya, the Eastern Mediterranean and other regional issues do not fully overlap, the two countries are seeking areas of coordination that can manage shared and competing interests simultaneously rather than pursuing policies based on excluding one another.
De-escalation in Libya, preserving state institutions in Sudan, opposing the fragmentation of Somalia and diplomacy on Gaza are among the issues on which the two countries can act together despite their different strategic priorities. The current relationship is therefore best described as a model of selective regional coordination on specific issues rather than a comprehensive alliance.
Türkiye’s regional policy is taking shape around the goals of building relations with different sides without relying on a single actor or power center, participating in multiple diplomatic formats and avoiding exclusion from future political negotiations.
