Ankara declares intent to invest in Libya’s destruction to revive Turkish economy

Ankara is moving ahead with its conquest of Libyan territory, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan no longer finds a need to disclose his expansionist ambitions in this country. A senior Turkish official announced on Friday, June 19 that Turkey is ready to take part in the race to rebuild the destroyed country so that it can begin the new stage of its adventure in Libya, where areas under the control of the Government of National Accord (GNA) would be handed over to Turkish companies thirsty to exploit Libya’s wealth, paving the way for the largest Turkish penetration into the joints of the state.

A high-ranking Turkish delegation that visited Tripoli a few days ago discussed details of the extension of Turkish influence to vital sectors in the country, the most important of which is the construction of a power plant and another for desalination in Misrata and Tripoli, while Ankara is expected to expand the scope of its exploration operations for gas in the Mediterranean off Libya’s coast.

The Turkish official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters that they also discussed payments due to Turkish companies for previous energy and construction work in Libya.

The official added that the Turkish delegation and the GNA discussed ways in which Turkey could assist in energy exploration and operations, including cooperation “in every conceivable project” to help access resources to global markets.

"Devastation has occurred in many areas of the country, and infrastructure is urgently needed," he said, adding that Turkish companies are in a position to start such projects quickly.

The official added that the Turkish electricity company Karadeniz Power could use its ships to remotely relieve the electricity shortage in Libya amid the fighting.

Another Turkish source said that Ankara and the GNA also discussed sending Turkish advisors to Tripoli to help rebuild its banking system.

Observers believe the Turkish president is tempted by projects in Libya as a means to help his country's faltering economy. Ankara has a long list of projects in Libya, in addition to future plans. The volume of Turkish companies’ projects in the devastated country since January has reached $16 billion, a figure that shows the GNA has opened Libya’s doors to Turkish tutelage by obtaining rewards for Ankara’s military support of weapons and mercenaries.

Erdogan's support for GNA leader Fayez al-Sarraj was not free of charge, as his malicious intentions of sending weapons and mercenaries to help the GNA militias against the Libyan National Army (LNA) have been revealed multiple times.

The Sarraj government signed an agreement with Turkey in November 2019 to establish an exclusive economic zone in the Mediterranean from the southern Turkish coast to Libya’s northeastern coast. This sparked widespread international outrage, especially from Cyprus, Greece and the European Union, as the agreement violates international law.