Turkey stalls on withdrawal of foreign forces from Libya
Turkey might have managed to stave off pressure in the Berlin conference on Libya, but as the December elections near, the Turkish military presence in the country will remain a source of tension.
Turkey might have managed to stave off pressure to withdraw its military presence in Libya by agreeing to pull out the Syrian militia, but Ankara's policies are widening the divide between rival Libyan actors and expanding the anti-Turkey front in the international arena.
Germany hosted the second Berlin conference on Libya on June 23 in a bid to advance efforts to carry the country to nationwide elections in December under a road map agreed as part of the UN-led efforts.
The process following the first Berlin conference in January 2020 has seen the announcement of a permanent cease-fire, the formation of a new unity government, and the formation of a military committee tasked with the unification of rival armed forces in the country.
Yet no progress has been achieved on efforts to merge rival Libyan institutions, form a national army, neutralize irregular Libyan militias, or draft a new constitution and election laws. The presence of foreign fighters in the country has turned into a major obstacle before all efforts on these fronts.
