Erdogan exploits European division over Libya
Turkey’s interference in Libya poses a grave danger to
European Union countries, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
conflicts with major EU countries such as Germany, but some observers argue
that the tensions and conflicts among EU countries, especially between France
and Italy, have allowed Ankara to encroach more on Libyan territory.
Poor handling
Former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi emphasized that
European Union countries are dealing with the Libyan issue poorly, considering
that Libya represents the southern maritime border of the continent and its
coasts are directly connected to the EU, representing a very dangerous regional
dimension. He added that Europe should not have allowed the deterioration of
the security and political conditions in Libya to the extent that opened the
way for Turkey and other countries to decide fate.
Prodi pointed out that the European Union no longer has a
real force on the ground to stop any international interference in Libya or to modify
its political or security conditions, adding that the reason for Europe’s
retreat lies in the internal disputes between EU politicians. He specifically called
on France and Italy to adopt a unified position on the Libyan issue.
French-Italian dispute over Libya
At the beginning of the crisis, France supported Libyan
National Army (LNA) commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. As for Italy, it
directed its political support to Government of National Accord (GNA) leader
Fayez al-Sarraj. This contributed to the weakening of a unified European
position towards Libya, and other major powers thus turned to manipulating the war-torn
country.
Nourhan El-Sheikh, a professor of political science at Cairo
University, previously told the Reference that the political initiatives
presented by Russia to solve the crisis is a clear representation of the
European division over the crisis, even if they had ended without signing
specific agreements or reaching a firm solution. This allowed the Turkish
president to take advantage of the conditions in Libya, especially in light of
his Ottoman colonial ambitions to take control of the country’s gas, oil, and
mineral resources.
Russia represents a strong ally for all and has economic and
strategic interests with the majority of countries, El-Sheikh said, pointing
out that the unity of the European position towards the Libyan file would cut off
the Turkish government’s ability to exploit the unstable conditions in Libya in
order to control Mediterranean gas, which represents a crisis for beneficiary
countries in Europe such as Greece.
European progress
It is worth noting that there has been progress in European
attitudes towards the Libyan crisis, as Egyptian diplomacy has played a major
role in this framework. In January 2020, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah
al-Sisi met with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to discuss the issue and
regional security.
