Libya’s eastern authorities welcomed a Turkish naval vessel to Benghazi on Sunday, signaling a shift in relations after years of hostility between Ankara and the Libyan National Army (LNA). Saddam Haftar, deputy commander of the LNA and son of commander Khalifa Haftar, received the Turkish warship TCG Kinaliada at Benghazi port alongside Turkish diplomats and defense officials.
The Turkish delegation included Ambassador Guven Begec, Defence Ministry official Ilkay Altindag, and Consul Serkan Karmanlioglu. Their presence suggested growing engagement between Turkey and the eastern-based administration, which is aligned with the House of Representatives in Benghazi.
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The visit follows rare talks in Ankara earlier this year between Saddam Haftar and senior Turkish commanders. Reports from Libyan media indicate that the eastern parliament is considering legislation that could permit Turkey to explore for oil and gas in Libyan waters, though no final decision has been announced. Ankara has also discussed reopening its consulate in Benghazi.
Libya remains split between rival administrations in Tripoli and Benghazi. The Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, led by Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, continues to operate in parallel with the eastern government. Fighting largely subsided after a UN-brokered ceasefire in October 2020, yet national elections have repeatedly been postponed.
Turkey’s involvement in Libya deepened in 2019 when Ankara signed maritime and security agreements with Tripoli and supplied drones and military advisers that helped repel the LNA’s offensive on the capital. Relations with the east soured during that period, with eastern forces intercepting a Turkish-linked vessel in 2020.
The Turkish Embassy noted that TCG Kinaliada also docked in Tripoli last week and took part in a joint naval exercise off the capital’s coast.