Türkiye started providing political and military support to the Government of National Accord (GNA) in 2019, which has been recognized as a legitimate government by the United Nations since its first day in office. Türkiye's support of the GNA consolidated the administration in and around Tripoli, which was attacked by Khalifa Haftar, the leader of the illegitimate armed forces in eastern Libya.
After Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj visited Türkiye in 2019 and met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the two countries signed memorandums of understanding on “delimitation of maritime jurisdictions” and “military security cooperation.”
With Türkiye's strong military-political support and Italy's partial support the Tripoli administration put up a successful resistance. The Haftar forces, which advanced to the streets of Tripoli, were first driven away from the capital and then pushed back as far as Sirte.
Although there have been minor clashes and tensions from time to time, with the permanent cease-fire approved on Oct. 23, 2020, large-scale clashes have stopped, and activities for a political solution have increased.
Türkiye's post-2020 Libya policy is focused not only on preserving a military victory but also on creating a lasting economic and diplomatic impact. Türkiye has been contributing to the peace process by establishing contacts with the Tobruk-based Haftar administration while continuing to develop its relations with the GNA.
Following its military successes in the field, Türkiye has started to take steps to find a political solution and achieve economic stability in Libya. In particular, Libya's move toward renewable energy investments to meet its growing electricity demand and its plans to benefit from Türkiye's technological capacity in this process has the potential to deepen cooperation between the two countries in the field of energy. In addition, the Ro-Ro line to be established between Türkiye, Libya and Italy and the launch of Turkish Airlines (THY) flights to Benghazi show that Libya is considered not only as a security area but also as an economic partner for Türkiye.
In the recent period, one of the most remarkable developments in Türkiye's military and economic presence in Libya has been the direct contact with Haftar forces. The meeting of Gen. Haftar's son Saddam Haftar, who has long pursued an anti-Türkiye line, with Yaşar Güler, the minister of National Defense, at SAHA Expo 2024, followed by the meeting of the Turkish military attaché in Libya with Haftar's officials, points to the beginning of a new era in relations with eastern Libya.
Haftar's strategic initiatives toward Türkiye not only increase Ankara's influence in Libya but also show an important effort to turn Libya's internal political balance. In particular, the hosting of the Joint Military Commission of the Libyan 5+5 in Türkiye shows that Ankara is trying to become a balancing factor in the entire Libyan security arena. While the Jan. 15 meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah demonstrated Türkiye's continued support for the legitimate government in Tripoli, this new line of dialogue with the east shows that Türkiye is pursuing a broader strategy toward the whole of Libya. Instead of a cooperation limited to Tripoli, Ankara is trying to build a long-term presence that will make its influence felt throughout the country.
Türkiye's comprehensive support to the GNA in Libya within the framework of military cooperation agreements includes consultancy, training, military equipment delivery and intelligence sharing. Türkiye's intervention, especially with the effective use of Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs, neutralized Haftar forces' critical air defense systems, such as Pantsir, and helped the GNA gain the upper hand on the ground. The active use of Turkish-made Kirpi II and Vuran armored vehicles in the field enhanced logistics and combat capabilities.
Türkiye's advanced defense industry played a key role in its military success in Libya.
Türkiye's Korkut air defense systems deployed to Libya have been active in defending against drones, while Fırtına Howitzers have severely worn down Haftar militias with intense and accurate suppressive fire. FNSS ACV-15 armored vehicles were also deployed in Libya, while the Libyan army received training for the T-122 Sakarya MRLSs. In addition, Türkiye's presence in Libya was not limited to land elements; the Turkish Naval Forces Command undertook air defense missions against Haftar's forces off the coast of Libya and even hit some strategic targets with naval guns.
The KARGU Kamikaze UAV developed by STM has proven itself in the Libyan field by being used in critical operations under the command of various units. Following its activities in Libya, activities have increased in the export of KARGU to different countries. In addition to this support, Türkiye is also considered to have engaged in serious activities in the region in terms of the use of electronic warfare systems. However, detailed information is not available due to the difficulty in tracking these activities and the high level of secrecy.
Türkiye continues its activities to strengthen the Tripoli-based official government after the repulsion of the Haftar forces. In this context, in addition to Bayraktar TB2, more capable UCAVs, such as the Akıncı UCAV, were exported directly to Libya.
Türkiye continues to contribute to Libya both in terms of training activities through the TAF and technical capabilities through the defense industry. Most recently, in January 2025, Libyan Chief of General Staff Gen. Mohammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad met with professor Haluk Görgün, president of the Presidency of Defense Industries, during his visit to Türkiye for official contacts.
On the other hand, military support and the influence of the defense industry in Libya are directly linked to Türkiye's policy of protecting its strategic interests in the Eastern Mediterranean. Türkiye's military presence in the region affects not only the balance in Libya but also the energy policies and maritime jurisdictional disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean.
As the turmoil in Libyan politics continues, struggles over the control of oil and oil revenues have intensified. Developments such as the threat and flight of the governor of the Central Bank of Libya and Haftar's attempts to seize oil resources in southwestern Libya pose major obstacles to peace efforts in the country.
In this process, Türkiye is working to improve relations with both sides and make the table more attractive. However, the situation in Libya does not seem to be close to a comprehensive solution in the short term due to the lack of incentives for a solution from international actors other than Türkiye.
