Turkey is losing its bet in Libya

Sara Rashad

Turkish presence in Libya faces major challenges, amid threats to Turkish interests in the country.

The Libyan capital Tripoli is full of tension and protests against the policies of the Government of National Accord (GNA).

This forced GNA Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj to declare a truce with the Libyan National Army (LNA).

Nevertheless, the same ceasefire suspends the work of the Syrian mercenaries sent to Libya by Turkey to aid the GNA.

The truce and the protests in Tripoli do not serve Turkish interests in Libya. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is apparently losing his bet on a military solution to the Libyan crisis.

Video footage was shared in the past few days to show Tripoli residents staging protests against what they described as the theft of their money by the GNA for the sake of Turkey and the mercenaries sent by Erdogan to Libya.

The Central Bank of Libya deposited $12 billion in the Central Bank of Turkey to prop up the Turkish lira, according to Libyan news sites.

Al-Sarraj conceded during a recent TV interview that his government pays the salaries of the Syrian mercenaries transferred to Libya by Turkey. Remarks in this regard increased the tension in Tripoli, especially with the Libyan capital suffering tough economic conditions.

Official concern

On August 27, Turkish Minister of Defense Hulusi Akar said his country would maintain military presence in Libya, regardless of the costs.

He said Turkish interference in Libya had changed the equation on the ground. Akar claimed that this interference was legal because it was based on a memorandum of understanding with the GNA.

However, the future of Turkish presence in Libya is uncertain.

Some analysts expect Turkey to pull out of Libya altogether.

The Turkish presence in Libya faces opposition from a wide range of countries, including Egypt, a direct neighboring country of Libya, and France.