Libya conflict

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler met with Saddam Hifter, commander of the Libyan National Army’s ground forces, on the sidelines of IDEF25 defense fair in Ankara, on July 23, 2025.

Libya’s Khalifa Hifter names son Saddam second-in-command: What to know

Saddam Hifter’s appointment as deputy general commander of the Libyan National Army positions him as a key power player in eastern Libya amid ongoing political division.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni react during a press conference as part of Turkey's President's visit at the Villa Doria Pamphili in Rome on April 29, 2025. Turkish President arrived in Rome for talks with Italy's Prime Minister on April 29, 2025, as the two Mediterranean countries seek to boost trade and cooperation, and will discuss the war in Ukraine and the "situation in the Middle East" before a summit where government ministers are expected to sign

Italy, Turkey, Libya hold summit as Meloni prioritizes migration: What to know

Three leaders met in Istanbul as Italy leads efforts to curb irregular migration from Libya and Ankara balances between Tripoli and eastern Libya.

Security forces stand guard as Libyans perform the morning prayer of Eid al-Fitr with a portrait of the military strongman of eastern Libya, Khalifa Hiftar, in the background in the port city of Benghazi on March 31, 2025.

Analysis

US reengages Hifter as Trump pursues dual Libya strategy: What to know

Though the UN Security Council, and by extension Washington, continues to recognize the Tripoli-based GNU as Libya’s legitimate government, the US senior adviser's outreach to both Dbeibah and Hifter points to a dual strategy undertaken by the Trump administration.

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Turkish police officers patrols next to the drilling ship 'Yavuz'

Analysis

Erdogan’s gamble: Turkey bets on Libya to pursue East Med dominance

The prospect of Libya’s eastern-based parliament approving a crucial maritime deal with Turkey is growing as Ankara-Benghazi rapprochement intensifies.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Latest News

Turkey defense chief meets Saddam Hifter as thaw with Libya continues

Turkish Defense Minister Yasaar Guler met with Saddam Hifter, Libyan National Army’s ground forces commander, on the sidelines of IDEF25 defense fair, July 23, 2025

Turkey's Fidan heads to New York for Cyprus talks as Libya tensions flare

Giorgos Gerapetritis (L), foreign minister of Greece, speaks with Hakan Fidan (R), foreign minister of Turkey during the second meeting of North Atlantic Council of foreign ministers at NATO headquarters, Brussels, Dec. 4, 2024.

Libya, Turkey sign agreement to deepen military ties: What to know

People wave flags of Libya (R) and Turkey (L) during a demonstration in the Martyrs' Square in the center of the Libyan capital Tripoli on June 21, 2020.

Analysis

Dbeibeh’s militia gambit: Power consolidation or prelude to more Libya chaos?

Libyan security forces stand guard at the entrance of Abu Salim Zoo as workers carry out maintance work in the capital Tripoli on May 28, 2025. From May 12 to 15, the Libyan capital was rocked by fighting between an armed group aligned with the Tripoli-based government and factions it has sought to dismantle. Relative calm has since returned, but the situation remains highly volatile as calls grow for the resignation of Dbeibah (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Jonathan Fenton-Harvey

By Jonathan Fenton-Harvey

In London, reporting on North Africa and Gulf politics

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - JANUARY 08: Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) talk onstage at the opening ceremony of the Turkstream Gas Pipeline Project on January 08, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey. The TurkStream project comprises two underwater gas lines, each with an annual capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters. Gas will initially flow to Turkey, while a combination of existing and new pipelines will subsequently take supplies via Bulgaria to Serbia and then on to Hungar

Turkey, Russia agree to work for truce in Libya as regional rivalry heats up

Despite backing opposing sides, Moscow and Russia have pledged to work toward a cease-fire in the North African country in a conflict that is fueling a complex maze of rivalries across the region.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 15: (AFP-OUT) U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Crown Prince Shaikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi in the Oval Office of the White House on May 15, 2017 in Washington, DC. Shaikh Mohammad is on a two-day visit to the U.S. (Photo by Chris Kleponis-Pool/Getty Images)

Intel: Trump, MBZ talk ridding Libya of proxy fighters

During a phone call Tuesday, the US president and Abu Dhabi’s crown prince discussed diffusing the Libyan crisis as a new battle looms in the strategic city of Sirte.

United Arab Emirates

Intel: Trump, Sisi address Nile dam dispute and Libya war

President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi discussed the Nile dam dispute with Ethiopia as well as the Libya war by phone today.

Intel: Trump presses Macron on Libya as France-Turkey row continues

President Donald Trump pressed President Emmanuel Macron on France’s role in Libya during a phone call today.

Egypt’s Sisi gets mandate for sending troops to Libya

The vote in parliament Monday comes a week after allied Libyan lawmakers gave Egypt the greenlight to intervene.

Erdogan condemns Egypt's actions in Libya as ‘illegal’

The Turkish president's remarks came a day after his Egyptian counterpart met with Libyan tribesmen in Cairo.

Is Erdogan after a Caucasus adventure?

Ankara’s harsh outbursts in favor of Baku in Azerbaijan’s rekindled conflict with Armenia might be aimed at domestic consumption as well as pressuring Russia into concessions in Libya and Syria.

Intel: White House sympathizes with France in Libya row with Turkey

White House National Security adviser Robert O’Brien on Wednesday expressed sympathy for France’s account of events in a Mediterranean naval standoff with Turkey last month over a Libyan arms smuggling allegation.

Putin, Mohamed bin Zayed seek to reclaim common ground on Libya

The Russian and UAE leaders spoke Wednesday about the path ahead in Libya, seeking to minimize differences and recharge the political process.

Intel: Trump, Erdogan chat as Libya heats up

US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan chatted by phone today as regional tensions threaten to escalate the already volatile situation in Libya.

Members of the "Tripoli Brigade", a militia loyal to the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), sit in the back of a pickup truck as they parade through the Martyrs' Square at the centre of the GNA-held Libyan capital Tripoli on July 10, 2020. (Photo by Mahmud TURKIA / AFP) (Photo by MAHMUD TURKIA/AFP via Getty Images)

Intel: Eastern Libya invites Egypt to intervene against Turkey-backed offensive

Eastern Libya’s parliament passed a motion approving a possible military intervention by neighboring Egypt to stop an offensive by Libya’s Tripoli-based government in the west.

Prime Minister of Libya's UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj (R) meets with Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at the GNA's presidential headquarters in the capital Tripoli on June 17, 2020. (Photo by - / AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Is proxy war turning to conventional confrontation in Libya?

Albeit late, Turkey seems to have finally understood the importance of diplomacy in Libya.