North Africa geopolitics expert and senior researcher Ferhat Polat said that Turkey has become a critical actor for political reconciliation and institutional unification in Libya by expanding simultaneous dialogue with both the internationally recognized Tripoli government and the Khalifa Haftar administration in the east.
In his article for AA Analysis, Polat recalled that after the 2011 uprising Libya still has not overcome political division, and the country is effectively split between the Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli and the administration backed by Haftar and the Libyan National Army (LNA) in the east.
Turkey's support for Tripoli and military intervention
Noting that after Khalifa Haftar's attack on Tripoli on April 4, 2019, Turkey developed a partnership with the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) encompassing defense cooperation, military training and increasing the capacity of security institutions, Polat stressed that this support went beyond the defense of the capital.
Polat said that Turkey's intervention halted Haftar's advance, changing the military balance on the ground and paving the way for the ceasefire that has largely held since 2020, adding that during this process steps toward institutionalizing Libya's security structures and reunifying the armed forces were also supported.
Rapprochement with the east and Saddam Haftar's role
Polat stated that after the 2020 ceasefire, contacts between Turkey and eastern Libya began in the fields of humanitarian aid and reconstruction and gradually expanded into political, economic and defense cooperation, and that Saddam Haftar, son of Khalifa Haftar, played a central role in this rapprochement through numerous visits to Turkey and meetings with senior Turkish officials.
Polat noted that the latest meeting between Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Saddam Haftar and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) head İbrahim Kalın's visits to Benghazi indicate that Ankara is gradually expanding contacts with the political and military leadership in eastern Libya, stressing that this approach does not weaken the deep-rooted partnership with Tripoli but rather complements it.
Energy cooperation and maritime jurisdiction agreement
Pointing out that Libya has Africa's largest proven oil reserves, Polat explained that prolonged conflict and political fragmentation have prevented the country from fully exploiting its energy resources, while Turkey has complemented its security engagement with increasingly expanding economic and energy cooperation.
Polat noted that the Maritime Jurisdiction Delimitation Agreement signed with the GNA in 2019 advanced both Turkey's strategic interests and strengthened Libya's maritime sovereignty rights, adding that the decision by the eastern-based House of Representatives to reconsider and ratify the accord, which it initially rejected, signaled a broader improvement in relations between Ankara and eastern Libya.
Renewed US efforts and conclusion
Describing as a positive development the statement by Massad Boulos, US President Donald Trump's Middle East and Africa adviser, that Washington is working to help unify Libya's fragmented institutions under a single national authority, Polat recalled that previous UN-led mediation efforts have shown how difficult political reconciliation is.
Polat added that Turkey's simultaneous engagement with both eastern and western Libya is a constructive step toward dialogue at a time of deep division, and that while these initiatives alone may not resolve the political impasse, they can help create the conditions necessary for institutional reunification and a more stable Libya.
