Turkey’s interests in Libya: This is why Turkey supports Al-Wifaq’s militias

Mahmoud Mohammadi

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to pursue a new foreign policy in order to extend Ankara’s influence to the countries of the eastern Mediterranean, and to gain strategic and economic gains as well, through political Islam groups with an ideological background in line with Turkey.

In this context, the Turkish government continues to support the hard-line militias in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, supplying them with mercenaries and arms. All to obstruct the advancement of the Libyan national army led by Khalifa Haftar against the militias that are being supported by Turkey and Qatar, especially with the collapse of the Muslim Brotherhood organization in Egypt, Syria and Sudan.

Major General Ahmed al-Mesmari, spokesman for the Libyan army, said in earlier remarks that foreign terrorists were fighting alongside al-Wefaq government, revealing that they were transferred from the cities of Zuwara and Misrata to Tripoli.

He also said drones capture intel about the Libyan army and provide them to the government, affirming that Turkey transferred terrorists from Al-Nusra Front in Syria to participate in attacks against the national army.

Moreover, Aguila Saleh, President of the Libyan House of Representatives, has accused Turkey of causing many massacres in Libya, stressing that the Turkish president provides support to extremist militias, and interferes in Libya’s internal affairs.

A few days ago, the National Defense and Security Committee of the House of Representatives condemned the Turkish-Qatari interference in the internal affairs of Libya.

In a statement signed by its president, Talal Al-Mayhoub, it said that Qatar and Turkey supported terrorism and extremism with money and weapons.

It also called upon the Security Council and the international community, through its international organizations, to demand Qatar and Turkey from interfering in the Libyan affairs.

A report published by Bloomberg, Turkey’s support for Libya’s internationally-backed government aims to salvage billions of dollars of business contracts thrown into limbo by the conflict and secure more leverage in the scramble for oil and gas in the Mediterranean.

Turkey’s main goal in backing the Tripoli-based government of Fayez al-Sarraj is to ensure it will eventually be able to resume construction projects worth about $18 billion, said the two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Restoring calm and keeping Sarraj’s government in place would also make it easier to demarcate maritime borders, helping Turkey expand its exclusive economic zones and strengthen its hand in the competition for control of energy resources and supply routes in the eastern Mediterranean, they said.

Turkey is vying with Cyprus for control of potential offshore energy finds and wants to become the main conduit to Europe for natural gas supplies from the eastern Mediterranean.

International relations expert Mohamed Hamed told The Reference in an interview that Turkey supports Islamists groups in Libya for its own interests, including the possession of Libyan oil and all the reconstruction projects. He also pointed out that Turkey is increasing the complications of crises in the regions, such as supporting militias of al-Sarraj government, so that Ankara would have a seat at the international negotiations table regarding regional cases.

Hamed also explained that Ankara wants to compete with France and Italy to impose influence in the Libyan territory, stressing that Turkey opposes Egypt and the United Arab Emirates because they help the Libyan national army led by Marshal Khalifa Hafter in his fight against terrorism.

He revealed that Turkey wants to repeat what happened in Syria again in Libya, and seeks to have negotiations for the division of Libya, and to have a role in these negotiations, pointing out that Turkey considers Libya an empty space that can be used in military exercises and war games.

He further pointed out that Turkey wants to make Tripoli a fortified fortress in front of the progress of the Libyan army, and for that it supports the militias Al-Sarraj by aircrafts and heavy artillery.

He also affirmed that Yasin Aktay, an advisor to Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, said more than once that political Islamists groups is one of Turkey’s tools to improve its image in front of the world, as Ankara uses that to project itself as the first defender of everything that is “Muslim”, with an intention to trick all Muslims into being loyal to the country.