Turkey’s spy chief visited Libya as backers of the Tripoli government search for a way out of a political impasse that has shut down Libya’s oil exports and jeopardized four years of relative stability.
Ibrahim Kalin met with Libyan officials in Tripoli to discuss possible solutions through an inclusive national debate aimed at preserving Libya’s unity and stability.
Kalin, accompanied by his deputy Cemalettin Celik, paid a visit to Tripoli on Thursday, where they met with Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, the head of the National Unity Government, and members of the Libyan Presidential Council. The talks focused on resolving internal conflicts, with Kalin reaffirming his country’s commitment to Libya’s unity and stability.
Kalin’s visit came after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi visited Ankara and met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials to discuss the situation in Libya.
Libya had been a major source of dispute between the two countries, but both agreed to continue negotiations. The negotiations highlighted the importance of withdrawing foreign soldiers and mercenaries, as well as holding presidential and parliamentary elections, to ensure Libya’s territorial integrity and stability. Sisi reaffirmed these views at a joint press conference with Erdogan on Wednesday.
Since 2020, Turkey has sent thousands of troops and Syrian mercenaries from pro-Turkish militias to Libya under a security and military cooperation agreement signed with the previous Government of National Accord (GNA), led by Fayez al-Sarraj, on November 27, 2019, in Istanbul.
Kalin’s visit also coincided with efforts by Libya’s rival authorities to de-escalate a political crisis, including the likely removal of Central Bank Governor Sadiq al-Kabir, who has long maintained close connections with Ankara.
According to a National Unity Government statement, during his discussion with the chief of Turkish intelligence, Dbeibeh discussed bilateral relations and mutual interests, as well as current Middle Eastern developments, particularly the situation in Gaza.
According to Turkish security officials, the conversations focused on the need of combined measures to assist regional stability and civilian protection, with a particular emphasis on strengthening collaboration in political and security areas.
Before meeting with Dbeibeh, Kalin and Celik spoke with Libyan Presidential Council deputies Abdullah al-Lafi and Musa al-Koni. They talked about Libya’s recent political developments and how to maintain stability and advance the political process.
According to a Presidential Council statement, Libyan officials underscored the importance of a unified national will in addressing present issues.
The National Unity Government stated that Kalin and Dbeibeh’s discussion focused on bilateral relations and shared issues, notably the situation in Gaza. Both parties stressed the importance of working together to improve regional stability and safeguard people, with a focus on strengthening political and security cooperation.
Kalın’s visit, the highest level contact between the sides since Dbeibah visited Ankara in late May, comes as rival Libyan authorities work to defuse a political standoff over last month’s ousting of veteran central bank chief Sadiq al-Kabir. The central bank receives and distributes funds from Libya’s oil exports, source of nearly all national income.
During the impasse, eastern factions had declared a shutdown to all oil production, demanding Kabir’s dismissal be halted, in a move that threatened to end four years of relative stability in Libya, which has had little peace since 2011 and was split in 2014 between eastern and western factions.
