Turkey’s endeavor to expand its influence in western Libya endangers Italy’s interests as Rome tries to regain control of the Government of National Accord led by Fayez Al-Sarraj, after its partial absence from the Libyan scene in light of the outbreak of the Coronavirus.
A phone call between Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Al-Sarraj earlier in May reflected Italy’s concerns about Turkey’s ambitions in Libya, which appeared to go beyond its initial goal of creating a military balance that would force the national army to return to the negotiations.
In phone call conversation, the Italian Prime Minister expressed his country’s concern over the flow of foreign weapons to Libya, which he said was fueling the conflict and posing a security threat to neighboring countries as well as European countries.
Conte stressed the need for the GNA to return to negotiations in accordance with Security Council resolutions and the conclusions of the Berlin Conference, warning of foreign interventions that have recently increased in Libya.
Meanwhile, a recent report by the weekly “Al-Arab” newspaper indicates that Turkey has benefited from the Italian-French conflict in Libya to expand its influence, which was a surprise to both parties to the conflict, yet with the increasing Russian intervention, Rome began to be concerned that the conflict in Libya would take the Syrian scenario as Ankara and Moscow would become the major players in the country.
In the meantime, the US concern about the Russian involvement into Libya increased, and the debate centered on whether Moscow aspires to influence the political process in Libya only or whether its gradual escalation may end with a permanent military deployment in the country.
