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

US threatens sanctions in bid to restore oil sharing in Libya

The US government raised the specter of sanctions on unspecified parties involved in Libya’s civil war yesterday after Libya’s oil authority accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of obstructing efforts to restore petroleum revenue sharing between the country’s warring sides.

Erdogan: Turkey on path to ‘unstoppable power’ in region

Turkish president throws his lot in again with Russia and Iran in Syria, expands plans for influence in North Africa and moves to convert the Hagia Sophia back into a mosque.

BERLIN, GERMANY - JANUARY 19: French President Emmanuel Macron (R) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) are pictured during a family picture at the Chancellery on January 19, 2020 in Berlin, Germany. Leaders of nations and organizations linked to the current conflict are meeting to discuss measures towards reaching a consensus between the warring sides and ending hostilities. (Photo by Emmanuele Contini/Getty Images)

Why is France a useful adversary for Turkey?

Although France has the means to hamper Turkey, both in the European Union and Africa, its current strategy often plays into Turkey’s hands, as evidenced by its recent failure to squeeze Turkey through a NATO probe.

This picture taken on June 11, 2020 shows a view of a mural depicting Mohsen al-Kania a commander of forces loyal Libya's eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar drawn on the wall of a detention facility formerly controlled by them, which fell into the control of security forces affiliated with the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA)'s Interior Ministry in the town of Tarhuna, about 65 kilometres southeast of the capital Tripoli. (Photo by Mahmud TURKIA / AFP) (Photo by MAHMUD TURKIA/AFP via Getty Images)

Russian FM says Hifter's forces ready for cease-fire in Libya

Sergey Lavrov said the Tripoli government wants to keep fighting as the war rages on with heavy foreign involvement from Russia, Turkey, Egypt and others.

Supporters of Libyan military strongman Khalika Haftar wave a national flag as they take part in a demonstration in the coastal city of Benghazi in eastern Libya, against Turkish intervention in the country's affairs on February 14, 2020. - Haftar launched an offensive last April to seize the capital Tripoli, the seat of the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).
Haftar has the backing of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia, among others, while the GNA is mainly supported by Qatar and Tur

Sisi rallies tribes to support Egypt's intervention in Libya war

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced his country’s readiness to intervene militarily in Libya and train tribes there to fight militias allied with the Tripoli-based government. This has raised questions about the impact such a move would have on the battles in Libya.

People wave flags of Libya (R) and Turkey (L) during a demonstration in the Martyrs' Square in the centre of the Libyan capital Tripoli, currently held by the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), on June 21, 2020. - The GNA on June 21 denounced Egypt's warning of military intervention in Libya, labelling it a "declaration of war", after the Egyptian President warned that if pro-GNA forces advanced on the strategic city of Sirte -- some 450 kilometres (280 miles) east of Tripoli -- it could pro

Turkey entrenches further into Libya as rivals strike back

Ankara is set to deepen its military intervention on the side of Libya’s Government of National Accord as it asserts dominance in the gas-rich eastern Mediterranean and drums up domestic support for the ruling party.

A car advances past a damaged facility in the Salaheddin district south of the Libyan capital Tripoli, on June 21, 2020, as some residents return to the area after it has been demined. - Since 2015, a power struggle has pitted the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) against strongman Khalifa Haftar, who claims legitimacy from an eastern-based elected parliament, and had been trying unsuccessfully to seize the capital since April 2019, until a pro-GNA counter-offensive at the beginning of June

Intel: US pushes Hifter’s Libyan militias to disband

US officials pushed strongman Khalifa Hifter’s Libyan National Army (LNA) to demobilize in a virtual meeting on Wednesday.

Pipes are pictured at Libya's El Sharara oilfield December 3, 2014. Deep in Libya's southern Sahara, men in army uniforms guard a pipeline at the El Sharara oilfield. Hundreds of kilometers to the north, rival fighters turn off the pumps to stop the oil flowing. The standoff over El Sharara illustrates the complex challenge United Nations mediators face in holding together a country heading towards a civil war between factions allied with rival cities scrambling for control. U.N. envoys plan to bring the Li

Intel: Russian mercenaries enter key oil field, Libya oil company says

A convoy of Russian mercenaries entered Libya’s Sharara oil field and met with the facility’s security forces yesterday, the country’s National Oil Corporation said.

Intel: US pushes warring Libya factions to disband militias

US officials pushed Libya’s UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) to demobilize its militias in virtual meeting this week, the State Department announced today.

People wave flags of Libya (R) and Turkey (L) during a demonstration in the Martyrs' Square in the centre of the Libyan capital Tripoli, currently held by the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), on June 21, 2020. - The GNA on June 21 denounced Egypt's warning of military intervention in Libya, labelling it a "declaration of war", after the Egyptian President warned that if pro-GNA forces advanced on the strategic city of Sirte -- some 450 kilometres (280 miles) east of Tripoli -- it could pro

Turkey gears up for tougher challenge in Libya as conflict heats up

Despite cease-fire calls in Libya, Turkey and its allies might be readying for a push toward the strategically important areas of Sirte and al-Jufra next month.

Egyptian soldiers stand guard during an organised tour for diplomats to mark the 150th anniversary of the inauguration of the Suez Canal, in the northeastern city of Ismailia on November 17, 2019. - One hundred and fifty years after the Suez Canal opened, the international waterway is hugely significant to the economy of modern-day Egypt, which nationalised it in 1956. The canal, dug in the 19th century using "rudimentary tools" and which links the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, was opened to navigation in 1

Egypt's saber-rattling on Libya raises eyebrows

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's warning of possible Egyptian military intervention in Libya drew mixed reactions both at home and from parties to the conflict.

Italian foreign minister says Libya a 'priority' in Tripoli visit

Libya's Government of National Accord hosted an Italian delegation in the capital today.