Turkey and Egypt Pressuring Libya to Resume Oil Supplies

Turkey and Egypt, which previously supported different sides in the Libyan conflict, are now trying to influence these parties to overcome the internal crisis and restore oil supplies from the country, Bloomberg reports, citing sources.

Five years after the opposing sides accepted the conflict in Libya, Cairo and Ankara are now pressuring the rival governments in the country to reach an agreement and end the oil blockade, according to officials and diplomats familiar with the situation.

Turkey, in particular, has been negotiating with Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the Libyan National Army, who has long been an ally of Egypt and a foe of Ankara during the fighting in 2019-2020. Diplomats say that although Egypt and Turkey are not the only countries influencing Libya, "their joint impact has significantly reduced fears of a widespread war."

Previously, according to Western media, Haftar's forces were supported by Egypt, Russia, France, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. In turn, Turkey, Qatar, and Italy have supported the government in Tripoli. Currently, Libya has two governments: the UN-backed Government of National Unity in Tripoli, in the west of the country, and a temporary cabinet in the east, supported by the Libyan National Army.