Libya sees Türkiye as a strategic partner in the energy sector and is keen to enhance cooperation in both traditional and renewable energy initiatives, according to a senior official.
"A significant portion of natural gas heading to Europe goes through Türkiye. Also, it has advanced technology in renewables. We want to make use of those things and have Türkiye as strategic partners in all energy sectors," Libyan Oil and Gas Minister Khalifa Abdulsadek said.
Abdulsadek noted that he had held discussions with his Turkish counterpart, Alparslan Bayraktar, last November to explore opportunities for enhanced collaboration.
"We have a very good relationship with the (Turkish energy) minister. I extended the invitation beyond just fossil fuel exploration and development. We extended the invitation beyond this to unconventional as well as the renewables," he told Anadolu Agency (AA) at the Libya Energy and Economic Summit in the capital city of Tripoli.
Libya has Africa's most abundant hydrocarbon reserves but is struggling to recover from years of conflict after the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that overthrew longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
It has since been split between a U.N.-supported government in the capital, Tripoli, and rival authorities based in the east. Each side has been backed by different armed groups and foreign governments.
There have been frequent blockades of oil installations, often because of social demands or political disputes.
Highlighting the longstanding collaboration between the two countries, Abdulsadek reiterated his invitation to Türkiye to expand its activities in Libya.
"Türkiye has worked in Libya in the past, and they still have some business to do in Libya. We invited them over to do more business in Libya," he said.
"We were looking forward to capitalizing on what we have already and doing more business, especially in the offshore areas. We are offering for the bid round right now. There is huge potential and big opportunities for us to collaborate on multiple projects," he added.
Türkiye has been a significant supporter of Libya and its Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA).
The two states saw closer ties in recent years, especially after the signing of security and maritime boundary pacts in late 2019, along with Ankara's aid to help the legitimate U.N.-backed Libyan government push back putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar's forces.
The deal over the Eastern Mediterranean demarcated the countries' shared maritime borders to prevent any fait accompli by regional states.
The two countries also signed an energy exploration agreement in October 2022 to explore hydrocarbons in Libya's exclusive economic zone and the mainland by Türkiye.
Abdulsadek underlined that Libya's invitation to Türkiye is not limited to hydrocarbons but also extends to renewable and innovative energy sources.
"Libya has strategic locations when it comes to sun intensity. We have lots of sunshine ... almost most of the year," he said, adding that the country has a similar potential in wind power as well.
"Libya offers great opportunities for investing in renewables as well as the large coastline that we have. There might be a lot of potential in the wind as well as the hydrogen. We understand that Türkiye is one of the international partners that we are considering for some of those projects," the minister added.
Abdulsadek expressed optimism about the prospects of collaboration with Türkiye, noting regular meetings between the two nations to evaluate opportunities.
"We think the future is very promising, and we think that we are going to have projects that will be a win-win for both of us and work on those projects," he said and added: "We see Türkiye as a hub for energy now."
