Can Efesoy, Sercan Irkin, Diyar Guldogan
13 August 2026•Update: 13 August 2026
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Wednesday that Ankara will continue playing a constructive and mediating role to bridge the divide between Libya’s eastern and western factions, expressing optimism about negotiations aimed at reunifying the country.
“We will continue our constructive role here, as well as our role as a mediator,” Fidan told reporters in Benghazi after completing meetings in Tripoli and Benghazi during his visit to Libya.
Fidan said his meetings with leaders from both sides of Libya’s political divide had given him a "positive" impression, noting that there was broad support for reunification.
He said officials in Tripoli strongly backed efforts to reunite eastern and western Libya, although negotiations were proceeding with certain conditions attached. In Benghazi, Fidan met with Khalifa Haftar, the commander of forces in eastern Libya; his deputy, Gen. Saddam Haftar; House of Representatives Speaker Aguila Saleh; and Belkacem Haftar, the head of Libya’s Development and Reconstruction Fund.
“All of them are key actors in Benghazi, and they also have strong support for Libya’s integration and reunification,” Fidan said.
He stressed that Türkiye’s balanced relations with both eastern and western Libya were widely appreciated.
“Türkiye’s ability to maintain relations with both the east and the west on an equal footing, and to be a country that genuinely and realistically wants Libya’s unity and territorial integrity, is greatly appreciated here,” Fidan said.
Fidan argued that Libyans on both sides were aware of the potential strength and prosperity that could emerge from a unified country. He said Libya’s reunification could help resolve not only the country’s own problems but also contribute significantly to Africa, the Muslim world and the wider region.
"There are certain obstacles. We will discuss these obstacles with our relevant institutions and colleagues. We also need to hold consultations with other countries," he added.
Fidan also referred to a US proposal concerning the process, saying Washington was advancing the initiative in consultation with Türkiye. He added that Türkiye was coordinating with the US, Egypt and other regional countries to help move the negotiations forward.
Libya has experienced years of political division and conflict since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. Fidan said the country had entered a relatively calm period since 2019 and credited Türkiye’s foreign policy, under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s leadership, with making a constructive contribution to maintaining stability.
Türkiye-Libya growing economic ties
He also pointed to growing economic ties between Türkiye and Libya, saying Turkish contractors were undertaking major projects in both Tripoli and Benghazi.
“The professional, qualified and high-quality work carried out by Turkish companies is seriously appreciated and approved by both sides,” Fidan said, adding that more Turkish companies should enter the Libyan market.
Fidan said Libya needed not only more Turkish construction companies but also industrial firms capable of establishing factories in the country. He highlighted Libya’s abundant energy resources, relatively low labor costs and favorable market access for certain products as factors that could attract investment.
“We are trying to use these good relations we have established with both the east and the west to help the two sides unite and create a single, sovereign and independent Libya,” Fidan said.
Fidan is due to visit Egypt next, describing the country as a “friend and ally” with which Türkiye works closely on regional issues, including the conflicts and crises in the Gulf and Palestine.
