Türkiye's Fidan to visit Libya for official talks

Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is scheduled to arrive in Libya on Tuesday for a two-day official visit that will take him to both Tripoli and Benghazi, where he will hold comprehensive talks with Libyan officials on strengthening bilateral ties across multiple sectors. Fidan will meet with representatives from both the western and eastern regions of the country — a reflection of Ankara's "One Libya" policy, which makes no distinction between different parts of the nation, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.

During the visit, which runs through Wednesday, the minister is expected to discuss political, commercial, energy, military and defense cooperation based on historic bonds and mutual benefit. He will also exchange views on recent developments in Libya's political process and underline the importance Ankara attaches to the country's stability.

Energy and regional security on table

The talks are expected to cover the protection of common rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean in line with a win-win approach, with Fidan set to emphasize Ankara's desire to further develop existing energy cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit. Turkish Petroleum Corporation's recent acquisition of rights to jointly operate two oil fields in Libya's first licensing round in 17 years will likely feature prominently in discussions.

Fidan is also expected to address regional and global developments, particularly the Palestinian issue and the situation in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. He will stress the importance of addressing regional issues through dialogue based on regional ownership while highlighting the strategic role of military and defense cooperation in maintaining stability.

Ankara's 'One Libya' policy

The visit comes as part of Türkiye's ongoing efforts to preserve Libya's unity, integrity and cohesion, with Ankara maintaining dialogue with all sides without distinction between the west, east and south of the country. Under this approach, Turkish officials continue to support UN-led efforts to hold credible, fair and transparent elections while emphasizing that political steps should be carried out under Libyan ownership and leadership.

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. Ankara also continues efforts toward the unification of Libya's military institutions, with the active participation of elements from western and eastern Libya in the EFES 2026 exercise held on April 11-May 21 considered a significant step in this direction.

Economic ties and contracting sector

Bilateral trade volume between the two countries reached $3.5 billion in 2025, with Libya remaining an important market for Türkiye's private sector despite fragile conditions. Turkish companies have undertaken 633 projects worth $31 billion in the country since 1972, ranking Libya fourth among nations where Turkish contractors have been most active.

More than 40 ongoing projects are currently being carried out by Turkish firms with a combined value exceeding $2.3 billion, primarily in the contracting sector. The safe and sustainable continuation of these activities is expected to be raised during Fidan's meetings as a means of advancing economic and commercial cooperation between the two nations.