Libya’s Saddam Haftar visits Turkey to boost defence ties
Saddam Haftar, deputy Commander-in-Chief of the eastern Libyan National Army (LNA) met with Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler in Ankara, according to the Libya Review.
The pair held high-level talks in the Turkish Ministry of Defence on November 20th, with the main focus pertaining to the ways in which bilateral military cooperation could be enhanced. The occasion marks Saddam’s third visit to Turkey in 2025, following earlier trips in April and July.
The LNA media office released a statement which revealed both nations’ mutual interest in confronting shared security challenges to stabilise the region. Both sides exchanged evaluations of regional and global geopolitical dynamics.
They also stressed the urgency of Mediterranean security as Libya continues to grapple with a long-standing migration crisis.
Ever since Saddam Haftar was appointed as second in command of the LNA by his father Khalifa – eastern Libya’s de facto leader – he has been highly engaged in a diplomatic outreach campaign to bolster the east’s international legitimacy.
This effort is certainly working on Turkey, which has been more than willing to engage despite a recent history of frayed relations. These tensions came to a head during Khalifa Haftar’s 2019 offensive against the western Libyan government, which was then a key Turkish ally.
The offensive was ultimately repelled after Ankara “deployed special forces… and heavy weaponry to defend Tripoli against Haftar’s forces”, according to Middle East Eye on September 2nd.
It has become particularly clear this year, however, that such frosty relations are beginning to thaw, especially after Khalifa hosted Turkey’s National Intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin in August, a figure who is widely seen as Turkish President Erdogan’s most powerful and trusted political ally.
On September 8th, the Atlantic Council argued that Kalin’s decision to visit eastern Libya in August without stopping in Tripoli symbolised the waning legitimacy of Libya’s western government, especially since Turkey has long been its principal backer.
Libya Review, Maghrebi.org, Middle East Eye, Atlantic Council, Libya Observer
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