BENGHAZI/TRIPOLI -UNS :Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has made a high-profile visit to Benghazi, holding official talks with eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar in a move that could mark a significant shift in Ankara’s approach to Libya’s divided political and security landscape.
The visit, which follows Fidan’s meetings in Tripoli with senior Libyan officials, represents a notable diplomatic opening between Turkey and eastern Libya after years of political rivalry and military confrontation.
According to Turkish diplomatic sources, Saddam Haftar received Fidan upon his arrival at Benghazi airport, underscoring the growing contacts between Ankara and influential actors in eastern Libya.
Fidan’s two-day visit comes after discussions in Tripoli with Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and Presidential Council President Mohamed al-Menfi, as Ankara seeks to broaden its engagement with Libya across political, economic and security channels.
From Battlefield Rivalry to Direct Engagement
The Benghazi meeting is particularly significant given Turkey’s previous military and political support for the Tripoli-based authorities during Libya’s civil conflict, while Haftar’s forces were backed by rival regional and international actors.
The latest diplomatic outreach suggests that Ankara is increasingly pursuing direct engagement with Libya’s eastern power structure, potentially seeking to move beyond the country’s entrenched divisions and establish channels of communication with all major Libyan stakeholders.
Economic and Security Interests
The talks are also expected to place economic cooperation, energy interests, security coordination and regional stability on the diplomatic agenda. For Turkey, deeper engagement with eastern Libya could provide additional leverage in efforts to protect its strategic interests while expanding its economic footprint across the country.
For Libya, sustained dialogue between Ankara, Tripoli and Benghazi could create additional space for negotiations over institutional reunification, political reconciliation and the future of the country’s divided security structures.
A Calculated Diplomatic Shift
Fidan’s appearance in Benghazi should therefore be viewed not simply as a symbolic visit, but as a potentially calculated diplomatic adjustment in Turkey’s Libya policy.
The meeting does not by itself resolve Libya’s political or military divisions, nor does it guarantee a comprehensive settlement. However, direct contact between Ankara and Haftar’s camp could reduce diplomatic barriers and open new channels for negotiations.
The broader message is clear: Turkey appears increasingly willing to engage across Libya’s political divide, testing whether diplomacy can replace confrontation as the principal mechanism for advancing its interests and contributing to a more stable and unified Libya.
