Turkish foreign minister to pay official visit to Libya

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will pay an official visit to Libya on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.

Fidan will hold meetings in Tripoli and Benghazi as part of his visit, the sources said.

During the talks, Fidan is expected to comprehensively discuss agenda items aimed at strengthening Türkiye-Libya relations based on historic bonds of brotherhood and an understanding of mutual benefit in all areas, particularly political, commercial, energy, military, and defense ties.

Fidan is also expected to exchange views on recent developments in Libya’s political process, underline the importance Türkiye attaches to Libya’s stability, and note that Ankara is closely following US initiatives and the UN-led political process.

Based on the priority of achieving lasting peace and maintaining calm in Libya, Fidan is expected to hold consultations on Türkiye’s potential contributions to steps taken under Libyan ownership and leadership.

As a reflection of Türkiye’s approach of making no distinction between Libya’s west, east, and south under its “One Libya” policy, Fidan is expected to emphasize Ankara’s determination to strengthen its dialogue with Libyan officials.

He is also expected to stress the significance of protecting the two countries’ common rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean in line with a win-win approach.

Fidan is expected to express Türkiye’s desire to further develop existing energy cooperation with Libya on the basis of mutual benefit and implement new projects.

He is also expected to say that the safe and sustainable continuation of the activities of Turkish companies, which have a significant presence in Libya, particularly in the contracting sector, would contribute to advancing and deepening economic and commercial cooperation.

Fidan is also expected to exchange views on regional and global developments, particularly the Palestinian issue and the situation in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

He is expected to emphasize the importance of addressing regional issues through dialogue and diplomacy based on regional ownership and joint efforts, while highlighting the strategic role of military and defense cooperation in this context.

Fidan is also expected to underline the need to strengthen and sustain efforts for lasting peace in Palestine and for the international community to adopt a principled, determined, and unified stance on the issue.

Türkiye-Libya ties

Türkiye and Libya share deep-rooted historical, cultural, and people-to-people ties, with bilateral relations being developed in all possible areas on the basis of mutual benefit to contribute to lasting peace, stability, and security in Libya, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.

In this context, reciprocal high-level visits between the two countries have continued to gain momentum.

Most recently, Libyan Government of National Unity Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh was received by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on April 18, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

Under its “One Libya” policy, Türkiye prioritizes preserving Libya’s unity, integrity, and cohesion, and continues its active efforts to establish lasting stability and maintain calm in the country, the sources said.

Based on this approach, Türkiye maintains dialogue with all sides in Libya without distinction between the west, east and south, while working together with Libyans to further advance relations in all areas.

Türkiye supports UN efforts to hold credible, fair, and transparent elections in Libya and cooperates with all Libyan stakeholders and the international community. Ankara emphasizes that steps taken as part of political efforts toward a prosperous and united Libya, which the Libyan people deserve, should be carried out under Libyan ownership and leadership, the sources added.

Ankara continues its efforts toward the unification of Libya’s military institutions as part of its “One Libya” policy, and the active participation of elements from western and eastern Libya in the EFES 2026 exercise, held on April 11-May 21, is considered “a significant step in this direction,” they also said.

Economic relations

Bilateral trade volume between the two countries stood at $3.5 billion in 2025. Despite the current fragile conditions, Libya remains an important market for Türkiye’s private sector.

Bilateral economic relations also continue to develop in various areas, particularly the contracting sector. In this context, the 22nd Türkiye-Libya Joint Economic Commission Meeting was held in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Jan. 24.

Türkiye’s contracting sector undertook its first overseas project in Libya in 1972. Turkish companies have so far carried out 633 projects worth $31 billion in the country.

Libya ranks fourth among the countries where Turkish companies have undertaken the highest number of projects.

Turkish companies currently have more than 40 ongoing projects in Libya, with a combined value exceeding $2.3 billion.

The steadily developing ties between Türkiye and Libya are also creating new opportunities in the energy sector.

In February, the Turkish Petroleum Corporation won the right to jointly operate two oil fields in Libya’s first licensing round in 17 years.

An agreement concerning the fields was signed in Tripoli on June 15.