European worries as Turkey extends control to Libyan coast

Mahmud al-Batakoshi

Remarks by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan give insight into his ambitions in Libya.

Erdoğan said recently that his country would back the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) so it can extend its control over the whole of Libya.

The remarks of the Turkish president are worrying to some powers that have interests in Libya, including Italy. Turkish interference in Libya just jeopardizes Italian interests in the North African country.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte expressed these worries in a phone conversation with GNA Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj.

The fact is that Erdoğan has benefited from feuds between Italy and France over Libya. Each of the two European countries wants to extend its influence in Libya. Italy gave the green light to Turkey to extend support to the GNA in an attempt to strengthen it against the National Libyan Army (LNA) which enjoys support from France.

Italian worries

Reported understandings between Turkey and Russia over Libya are most worrying to Italy. A recent visit by the GNA Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Maiteeq to Moscow had probably discussed this.

Maiteeq went to Moscow to assure the Kremlin that Russian can still have their own place in Libya. He also said that the GNA was ready to release two Russian researchers it arrested in Libya and accused of spying weeks ago.

Turkish control of the Libyan coast puts the whole of Europe within the range of the fire of his militias. So far, Erdoğan has sent up to 15,000 Syrian mercenaries to Libya. The Libyan coast can also potentially turn into a launch pad for waves of migration on the road to the European continent. Only 500 kilometers separate the Libyan coast from the coasts of both France and Spain. Italy is located only 2,000 kilometers away.