Libya–Turkey relations

General Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) in eastern Libya, is still posing a threat to Libya's unity and the ongoing peace process, Turkey's top soldier has said, vowing Turkey's continued support to the U.N.-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli and extended military presence in the country.

Defence Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos detailed Turkey's role as an agent of instability in the Eastern Mediterranean at a Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) online conference today on EastMed security challenges.

As Libya emerges from years of turmoil and conflict since the 2011 death of Muammar Gaddafi, Turkey prioritizes protecting the sovereignty and unity of independent Libya, the county's foreign minister said on May 3.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on April 16 spoke over the phone with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, according to Turkey's Communication Directorate.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on April 12 said Turkey and Libya's new unity government were committed to the maritime demarcation agreement in the eastern Mediterranean.

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah and a delegation of ministers made their first visit to Turkey on April 12 since taking office last month.

As part of a two-day visit, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Dbeibeh on April 12 chaired the first meeting of the Turkey-Libya High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council in Ankara.

The EU will engage in talks with Turkey on outstanding issues in the region, according to the EU's foreign policy chief.

"On the eastern Mediterranean, we will pursue dialogue with Turkey on outstanding issues," Josep Borrell said in his book, European Foreign Policy in Times of COVID-19.

The Turkish defense minister and his Libyan counterpart met in Istanbul on Jan.10 to discuss bilateral cooperation.

The Turkish parliament on Dec. 22 approved a motion calling for an extension in troop deployment in Libya for another 18 months.

While the ruling AKP, and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) backed the motion, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), and Good (İYİ) Party voted against it.

Turkey's presidency on Dec. 12 submitted a motion to parliament to extend troop deployment in Libya for 18 months.