Turkey's FM heads to Italy amid rising tensions with Greece over EastMed, Libya The top Turkish diplomat is set to meet with his Italian counterpart, as Ankara seeks deeper cooperation with Rome amid a rivalry with Greece and ongoing Libya diplomacy. Turkey
Analysis After setbacks in Syria and Turkish gains in Libya, Russia scrambles to retain Mediterranean sway Moscow faces growing challenges coordinating in Libya and sustaining its regional presence after losing its key Syrian ally and confronting Ankara’s expanding influence. By Anton Mardasov
Turkey resumes flights to Libya's Misrata as Ankara courts Tripoli, Hifter The first direct flight from Istanbul to Misrata since 2015 underscores Turkey’s efforts to maintain good relations with the Tripoli government as well as its eastern-based rival. Turkey
Analysis Turkey’s power play in Libya tests Greece’s red lines A naval visit, back-channel diplomacy and a budding Italy-Libya track reveal Ankara’s push to lock in its 2019 maritime deal. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Qatari foreign minister visits Egypt Relations between Qatar and Egypt have continued to improve following the January agreement that ended the Gulf diplomatic rift. Egypt
Libyan LGBTQ+ activists speak out on violence by extremist militias In Libya, amid the ongoing conflict and chaos, the country's first LGBTQ+ platform is fighting for a safe space for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals. North Africa
The Takeaway: Erdogan’s incendiary remarks about Israel worsen ties with Washington The fallout of the Turkish president’s comments could compound problems for country’s beleaguered economy; Israel-Palestinian frictions dominate region’s news; Libya’s mercenaries; and more! Turkey
Rifts plague Libya’s central bank Although a new unity government was formed in Libya, ending years of division in state institutions, conflicts still plague some financial institutions that control the country's economy, namely the central bank. Egypt
Mercenaries, foreign fighters threaten Libya's fragile transition Both sides of the Libyan conflict have so far failed to agree on the departure of foreign fighters from Libya as required by the country’s political settlement document known as the road map; it appears the issue rests with Moscow and Ankara. North Africa
Libyan conflict stands out as key to Turkey-Egypt normalization Turkey appears reluctant to back down from its military posture in Libya, even as its normalization bid with Egypt depends greatly on whether the two sides find common ground in the Libyan conflict. Turkey
US appoints Ambassador Richard Norland as Libya special envoy Norland, who has served as chief of mission to Libya since August 2019, will lead US diplomatic efforts to promote a political solution to the conflict. Libya
Libya’s uncertain path to elections Despite a political process that appears on track, the risk of conflict from foreign forces still in the country remains high. Libya
Turkey faces rough road to normalization with Egypt Turkey’s reconciliation with Egypt is not likely to be easy, but progress after the first high-level meeting between the two sides could mark a new course in Ankara’s foreign policy and pave the way for its reconciliation with the Gulf heavyweights as well. Turkey
Egypt, Turkey conclude 'frank and in-depth' talks in Cairo The Egyptian and Turkish deputy foreign ministers chaired two days of talks focused on bilateral and regional issues, including the war in Libya. Turkey
Turkey’s good words not worth much to Saudi Arabia Turkey’s efforts to mend ties with the Gulf bloc don't pass Riyadh's tacit preconditions. Turkey
More than 100 children intercepted off Libyan coast 2021 has been a deadly year for people seeking to cross the Mediterranean from Libya to Europe, and around 1,000 children are currently detained in Libya in connection with migration attempts. News Brief
