Once adversaries, Turkiye and the leadership of eastern Libya are now building closer political and military ties.
asserted
Turkiye → build → ties
Ankara has also repaired relations with Egypt in the past few years after previous hostility, but a maritime dispute is testing how far those reconciliations can go.
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reconciliations → repair → hostility
On Wednesday, Turkiye’s Ministry of National Defence renewed its offer to sign a maritime boundary agreement with Cairo, arguing that Egypt could gain more than 15,000sq km (5,790sq miles) of maritime jurisdiction – a figure that is Ankara’s estimate – compared with a potential further agreement with Greece, with which Cairo signed a partial maritime deal in 2020.
uncertain
Cairo → renew → 2020
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escalation → eye → Libya
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countries → look → Iran
The offer came eight days after Libya’s eastern-based parliament in Tobruk reversed years of opposition and approved a maritime agreement signed between its rival, the internationally recognised government based in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and Turkiye in 2019.
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parliament → come → 2019
The agreement delineates maritime jurisdiction areas claimed by Turkiye and Libya in the Mediterranean, but Greece, Cyprus and Egypt argued that it infringes on their sovereign rights while Turkiye maintains that it complies with international law.
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it → delineate → law
A senior Turkish official told Al Jazeera that eastern Libya’s leaders had come to recognise Ankara’s intentions.
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leaders → tell → intentions
“Turkiye is not there to use Libya for its own purposes,” the official said.
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official → use → purposes
“From the very beginning, we have supported a policy of one Libya,” the official added, stressing that the country’s stability and resources should benefit all Libyans.
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stability → support → Libyans
From confrontation to cooperation
Turkiye helped repel a 2019-2020 offensive on Tripoli by forces loyal to renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, leader of the military forces of the eastern government.
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Turkiye → help → government
Ankara has since expanded its relations with the eastern camp while maintaining ties with Tripoli.
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Ankara → expand → Tripoli
The senior official said Turkish security personnel based in Tripoli had remained in contact with eastern Libyan forces even during the confrontation.
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personnel → say → confrontation
Only the results it has produced have changed,” the official said.
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official → produce → ?
The diplomatic outreach has been accompanied by military and intelligence contacts.
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outreach → accompany → contacts
In May, Defence Minister Yasar Guler met Saddam Haftar, Khalifa Haftar’s son, and Abdulsalam al-Zoubi, a senior defence official in the Tripoli-based government.
uncertain
Guler → meet → government
Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin also met Saddam Haftar in Benghazi on June 23.
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Kalin → meet → June
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan followed in August, meeting both Khalifa and Saddam Haftar.
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Fidan → follow → Khalifa
A change in Libya’s eastern parliamentary leadership also preceded the maritime vote.
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change → precede → vote
On October 6, lawmakers replaced Aguila Saleh as parliament speaker with Al-Salhin Abdelnabi al-Obeidi, who previously chaired the Libyan-Turkish parliamentary friendship committee.
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who → replace → committee
Galip Dalay, a senior research fellow at Chatham House, sees Ankara’s engagement with its former adversaries as a strategic gain.
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Dalay → see → gain
It is a strategic gain for Turkiye,” he told Al Jazeera.
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he → tell → Jazeera
Dalay argued that closer relations with both Libyan camps make it harder to establish Eastern Mediterranean energy and security arrangements that exclude Turkiye.
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that → argue → Turkiye
What does eastern Libya gain?
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Libya → gain → What
The rapprochement also reflects political calculations within the Haftar camp.
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rapprochement → reflect → camp
Tarek Megerisi, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, believes Saddam Haftar hopes Ankara’s influence could strengthen his own political prospects with many believing that he eventually wants to lead Libya.
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he → visit → Libya
The senior Turkish official said Ankara had made no specific political commitments to eastern Libyan officials beyond general principles and cooperation that would also benefit Libya.
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that → say → Libya
Representatives of both Libyan camps held talks in Ankara on Friday about unifying their military structures, according to Libyan media reports.
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Representatives → hold → reports
Differences over political oversight remain unresolved, and no final agreement has been announced.
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agreement → remain → oversight
But Anas El Gomati, director of the Sadeq Institute, cautioned that an understanding between Libya’s rival leaders would not necessarily produce an inclusive political settlement.
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understanding → caution → settlement
“An elite bargain between two camps can leave out everyone beyond them,” he said.
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he → leave → them
Egypt: The diplomatic balancing act
The Libyan eastern parliament’s reversal has also complicated Egypt’s position.
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reversal → complicate → position
Cairo has traditionally supported the eastern leadership but opposes the maritime agreement it has now endorsed.
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it → support → agreement
On October 22, Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis announced discussions with Egypt on extending their partial 2020 maritime delimitation agreement eastwards towards Cyprus.
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Gerapetritis → announce → Cyprus
Four days later, Egypt joined Greece, Cyprus, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and the European Union in a statement at the United Nations rejecting the Turkiye-Libya accord.
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Egypt → join → accord
Yet Cairo and Ankara have continued rebuilding their relationship.
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Cairo → continue → relationship
Turkiye’s land forces commander, General Metin Tokel, arrived in Egypt on Monday for an official visit.
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commander → arrive → visit
The Turkish Defence Ministry has also announced a joint naval exercise in Alexandria from November 4 to 9.
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Ministry → announce → 9
The senior Turkish official told Al Jazeera that Ankara remained open to cooperation on maritime boundaries and energy but would defend what it considers its rights.
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it → tell → boundaries
“Just as other countries say they will not give up the rights they recognise as their own, the same applies to Turkiye,” the official said.
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official → say → Turkiye
…and 17 more, not listed.
The Aporia
