Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said he would visit Libya on Wednesday as Türkiye seeks to expand its ties to North African country. Speaking in Malta at a news conference with his counterpart, Fidan said they would also reopen Turkish Consulate in Benghazi soon.
Amid the instability that followed the ouster of Moammar Gadhafi, Türkiye shut down the consulate in 2014.
Fidan, who spoke at the news conference with his Maltese counterpart Ian Borg on Tuesday, said he would travel from the island state to Libya where he would meet the prime minister of the National Unity Government in Tripoli and other high-ranking officials, to convey "Türkiye’s constructive policy" toward Libya.
Libya has seen more than a decade of stop-start conflict since a NATO-backed revolt toppled longtime dictator Gadhafi in 2011, with a myriad of militias forming opposing alliances backed by foreign powers.
Türkiye and Libya have seen closer ties in recent years, especially after the signing of security and maritime boundary pacts in November 2019, along with Türkiye’s aid to help the internationally recognized Libyan government push back Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s forces. Türkiye supported the U.N.-recognized legitimate government in Tripoli against the eastern-based illegitimate forces led by Haftar, who was backed by Egypt, France, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Russia. Türkiye’s support for the Tripoli government was critical in repelling the Haftar forces’ offensive to capture the capital Tripoli and led to a period of stability resulting in the formation of the unity government.
"We desire Libya to resolve its problems through dialogue. We do not desire the existing divide between the east and the west to be permanent. We work for a peaceful solution to the process through dialogue and on conditions both sides would agree upon. Türkiye’s relations with Libya are progressing. We decided to reopen our consulate in Benghazi. Our companies started working in the country again. We are also holding talks with our friends in the region, with Egypt and the United Arab Emirates for playing a constructive role on the issue of Libya," Fidan said.
Putin’s visit
Fidan also spoke about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s expected visit to Türkiye. He said President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Putin would discuss the war in Ukraine and the Black Sea Grain Initiative during the visit.
The minister did not give a date for the trip, which would mark Putin's first trip to a NATO member state since the conflict began in February 2022. A Turkish official told Reuters last week he would visit Türkiye on Feb. 12.
Ankara has sought to persuade Russia to return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative – brokered by Türkiye and the United Nations – that ensured the safe export of Ukrainian grain during the war via the Black Sea. Russia withdrew from the accord in July 2023 and has said it was not interested in reviving it.
Fidan said Türkiye was working with Ukraine and Russia to revive the accord.
He said Ankara valued its "ongoing, regular" dialogue with Moscow on a host of issues, from energy to policy differences regarding regional conflicts in Syria, Libya and the Southern Caucasus. "We have always stood by Ukraine's territorial integrity and will continue to stand by it, but the destructive impact of the war must end somehow too," Fidan said, pointing to the grain deal.
NATO member Türkiye shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and has aimed to maintain good ties with both amid the war. It has provided military support for Kyiv and voiced support for its territorial integrity while opposing the sanctions on Russia.
The Kremlin has said Erdoğan and Putin would discuss setting up a gas hub in Türkiye and the war in Ukraine during the visit.