Unpacking the shifts in Turkey’s Libya policy with Jalel Harchaoui

Description

Jalel Harchaoui (https://www.rusi.org/people/harchaoui) , a political scientist focused on Libya and a contributor at the Royal United Services Institute, joins Turkey recap editor Diego Cupolo to discuss shifts in Turkey’s Libya policy and how they fit into broader US and NATO objectives for stability in the divided nation. The talk outlines how, in 2019, Ankara initially backed the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity in Western Libya and, since 2024, has been expanding its diplomatic outreach and drone sales to the Benghazi-based Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar in Eastern Libya. Topics covered include Turkey’s hosting of joint military exercises (https://www.defensenews.com/global/mideast-africa/2026/05/06/turkish-exercise-sees-libyas-rival-forces-train-together-for-second-time-within-weeks/) between Libya’s rival forces as well as the spillover effects of Turkey’s Libya policy for regional conflicts and actors. They also discuss Turkish parliament’s planned legislation (https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/05/new-turkey-maritime-draft-bill-fuels-eastmed-tensions-greece-cyprus) to claim waters near the Greek Island of Crete by formalizing a maritime boundary agreement with Libya. Referenced in this talk: Submit a question for our Q&A podcast with this form (https://forms.gle/953tUNACVoZjpyPa7) RSVP to our June 11 get-together in Ankara with this form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpCgjMkg13w7rvGHcOxAGcnCkp2t3dGfdpAht0gkWfwc3jMA/viewform?usp=header) (details inside) Libya’s False Peace (Foreign Affairs (https://www.foreignaffairs.com/libya/libyas-false-peace) ) Turkey’s policy towards Libya: a year of major shifts (OSW (https://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2025-12-02/turkeys-policy-towards-libya-a-year-major-shifts) ) Libya’s Haftar acquires combat drones despite UN embargo (Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/libyas-haftar-acquires-combat-drones-despite-un-embargo-2026-04-02/) ) Libya in the middle: Can Greece’s moves rival Türkiye’s years-l