GNA builds Turkish military base in Misrata with Qatari funds

Nahla Abdel Moneim

Turkey continues to escalate tensions in Libya despite international calls for calm and resorting to a political solution. Al-Arabiya network, quoting private sources, reported that an agreement was signed during a meeting between Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and his Qatari counterpart Khalid al-Attiyah to build a Turkish naval military base in Misrata overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

The agreement, signed between Turkey, Qatar and the Government of National Accord (GNA) on Monday, August 17, 2020, stipulates that Doha will undertake financing operations for logistical missions and supporting the GNA’s terrorist militias in western Libya, allowing Ankara to form expanded military forces on the Mediterranean to achieve its agenda of geographical and ideological expansion in North Africa.

Strategic importance of Misrata

Establishing a naval military base for Turkey in Misrata poses a danger, as it mediates the maritime region of the Middle East, Europe and North Africa with its political, military and economic consequences that contribute to igniting the region and undermining its civil development in favor of the expansionist Ottoman ideology. It also allows Ankara to control one of Libya’s most important commercial outlets.

The proposed base would be a thorn in the side of the European Union, which is angry at Turkey due its illegal gas exploration amid economic and strategic interests that undermine its control over Ankara’s ambitions.

In this regard, Karam Saeed, a Turkish affairs researcher at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, told the Reference that Doha uses its funds to help its Turkish ally build a military base that poses a direct threat to the region and contributes to strengthening Ankara’s role in illegal gas exploration.

Saeed pointed out that this current alliance between the GNA, Doha, and Ankara sends dangerous messages that may imply there is an “Islamist solidarity” that is running the battle in Tripoli to make expansionist moves in the region popular.

Brotherhood’s role in achieving foreign agendas

This turmoil in Libya would not have materialized had it not been for the presence of the Brotherhood, which has worked in earnest to empower Ankara with the keys to the country. Through the Brotherhood’s GNA, the Turkey-Qatar coalition was able to implement their obvious agenda of military occupation by means of terrorist militias that were falsely used as defenders of Libyan policies, but in fact worked to achieve foreign agendas, which is currently evident in the conquest of western Libya in response to the aspirations of the neo-Ottoman sultan.

Given that Qatar is considered the treasury of the Brotherhood working on the ground in favor of Ankara, Libyan National Army (LNA) spokesman Major General Ahmed al-Mesmari revealed that the tripartite meeting that took place on August 17 came to arrange the militia situation in the west of the country after tensions erupted in the streets between the terrorists due to differences among the various groups. The foreign alliance in Tripoli was preparing to stabilize conditions for militias to use them forcefully in the coming period.

In a related context, the LNA announced its intensive monitoring of militia movements to reinforce terrorist brigades in Misrata in conjunction with the visit of the Turkish defense minister. Meanwhile, Libya Review revealed that the GNA had asked Akar and Attiyah to increase the salaries of the militias sent to Tripoli from Syria, and indeed, the rate of increase was approved at 30% of their salaries.