Turkish diplomacy has stepped up its outreach to Libya over the past few days, just as the country slid back into a bout of violence that underscores how fragile its transition remains. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made a two day visit on August 11 and 12, before continuing his tour on to Egypt. The trip unfolded against a tense backdrop, marked by drone strikes on the country’s largest refinery and the assassination of the Libyan National Army’s military intelligence chief.
Hakan Fidan travelled to both of the country’s rival power centers. In Tripoli, he met with Abdel Hamid Debeibah, prime minister of the Government of National Unity, Mohamed Al Manfi, president of the Presidential Council, Mohamed Miftah Takala, head of the High Council of State, along with Libyan security officials and the command of Turkish armed forces deployed in the country. He then travelled to Benghazi, the stronghold of eastern Libya, where he met Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, commander in chief of the Libyan National Army, his son and deputy commander General Saddam Haftar, Aguila Saleh Issa, speaker of the House of Representatives, and Belqasim Khalifa Haftar, director of the Reconstruction and Development Fund. The Turkish minister also paid tribute at the mausoleum of Omar al Mukhtar, a historic figure of Libyan resistance. This dual visit, to both east and west, signals a stated intent to engage with the full range of Libyan institutional players rather than align exclusively with one camp.
Diplomatically, Hakan Fidan took on the role of mediator, stating that Turkey « will continue to play its constructive role here. » Ankara says it supports dialogue between the country’s east and west and frames a unified Libya as its goal. That positioning comes with very concrete interests attached. Security and defense cooperation remains a major strategic pillar for Turkey, which has maintained a military presence in Libya since its 2020 intervention alongside the Tripoli government. Economically, Turkey ranks among the country’s foremost partners, with Turkish companies active in industry, energy, construction and infrastructure. The two countries have in fact designated 2026 as a « year of energy » in their bilateral cooperation, and Tripoli is expected to host the 4th Turkey Africa summit.
Fidan’s visit coincided with a burst of violence that once again exposed the country’s fragility. On August 11, drone strikes hit the Zawiya refinery in western Libya, the country’s largest oil facility, sparking a massive fire. Authorities raised the possibility of shutting the site down entirely after this latest attack, in a region that had already seen several drone strikes in recent weeks. That same day, in Benghazi, a car bomb killed the Libyan National Army’s military intelligence chief, a close associate of Field Marshal Haftar. The assassination, occurring in the very stronghold of the camp Fidan was about to visit, points to internal tensions running through the eastern Libyan camp itself, beyond its rivalry with Tripoli.
The timing of Turkey’s diplomatic tour landing right alongside this twin energy and security crisis sums up Libya’s current situation fairly well. The country remains split between a UN recognized government in Tripoli and a parallel administration backed by the Libyan National Army in the east, with every regional player, Turkey chief among them, working to consolidate its own influence while the political reunification promised for years never quite materializes. Ankara’s claimed role as mediator runs up against a stubborn reality, one where violence, whether aimed at oil infrastructure or at military officials themselves, continues to shape the headlines far more than diplomatic announcements do.