Erdogan to Boost Libya Aid as Military Alliance Secures Tripoli

(Bloomberg) --

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged additional support to Libya's internationally recognized government after it said it had driven rival forces from the outskirts of the capital, doubling down on an alliance that has shifted the momentum in the country's conflict.

“We will never leave our Libyan brothers to the mercy of legionnaires,” Erdogan told a joint news conference with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj after a meeting in Ankara on Thursday.

Turkish-backed fighters loyal to Sarraj said earlier they had removed forces controlled by Khalifa Haftar from areas around Tripoli, in a major setback to the eastern-based commander. The victory, announced by the military on its Facebook page, builds on a string of recent successes for the Government of National Accord.

“We have fully freed Tripoli and surrounding areas,” Sarraj said. “It is actually a victory of all of us,” he said in a reference to critical Turkish backing.

Moscow Visit

Haftar launched his offensive on Tripoli in April 2019, but Turkey's military and logistical support for the GNA turned the tide against him, despite the support he's received from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russian mercenaries.

The government's latest win could reshape the military and political landscape in Libya, where rival administrations in the west and east and their militia backers have been battling for control since the 2011 ouster and killing of Moammar Qaddafi. That's left the nation that sits atop Africa's largest crude reserves in an economic shambles.

There are some signs it could also help spur a renewed push for peace. Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Maiteeq, following a visit to Moscow on Wednesday, said military operations might now be scaled back to allow for greater diplomatic efforts, with Russia playing a key role.

In a statement, Russia said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had spoken with his Egyptian counterpart about the “need for the cessation of hostilities and the resumption of meaningful talks” between the Libyan rivals. Russia's delivery of fighter bombers to Libya in May suggested that Moscow hasn't given up on its ally.

“The Turkish intervention has created a new reality on the ground, at least in western Libya,” said Riccardo Fabiani, project director for North Africa at International Crisis Group. “The momentum behind Haftar's Tripoli campaign seems to have been lost and a new equilibrium has now set in.”

Repeated international and United Nations efforts to broker a lasting cease-fire have repeatedly failed, with both sides accused of routinely violating the deals and setting preconditions for enforcement. His unsuccessful campaign to seize Tripoli has the potential to exert more pressure on Haftar and his Libyan National Army, which controls the oil-rich east and the neighboring oil fields and export terminals.

For now Erdogan isn't sounding diplomatic. He called Haftar a “putschist who can't represent the Libyan people,” urging the international community to prevent the “illegal sale” of oil to international markets by the commander.

Energy riches have emerged as a key plank of Turkey's policy toward Libya. Ankara has vowed to begin exploration activity in areas of the eastern Mediterranean under a maritime agreement it struck with Sarraj's government in November, asserting claims that have fueled tensions with old rival Greece and other states. On Thursday, Erdogan said he wanted to cooperate with Libya on searching and drilling.

Turkey Vows Support for Libya's UN-Backed Government Won't Waver