In another move that strengthens military ties between western Libya and Turkey, the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) has signed a new cooperation agreement with Ankara, validating the two sides’ steady strategic alliance over the past few years.

Libyan Deputy Defense Minister Abdulsalam al-Zubi visited the Turkish capital yesterday, where he held an official meeting with Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler. According to the official GNU statement, the two sides signed an agreement that focuses “on cooperation in the fields of advanced military training, exchange of experience, as well as technical and logistical support, with the aim of enhancing the readiness and professional competence of the Libyan army.”

The visit of the Libyan official and the signing of the new agreement is not an isolated event. Since 2019, Ankara and Tripoli have deepened their relations by signing a series of memoranda of understanding, including the agreement on maritime delimitations in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as military support. Turkey’s support for GNU was also crucial during the civil war that followed the fall of Gaddafi, with military and logistical assistance against Khalifa Haftar’s forces in eastern Libya.

The GNU, under the leadership of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeiba, has made Ankara a key partner in the security and reconstruction of Libya’s armed forces. The new agreement comes to reaffirm this relationship and give continuity to Turkish military missions and actions on Libyan territory.

“Strengthening military cooperation between the two countries is a foundation for upgrading the capabilities of the Libyan army,” the GNU statement said, presenting the agreement as a means of improving the professional training of personnel and the efficiency of the country’s military apparatus.

Turkey, for its part, maintains a special interest in Libya, both for reasons of geopolitical influence and because of the energy and economic interests stemming from the maritime zones agreement it signed with the GNU. Through military cooperation, it is strengthening its presence in North Africa and attempting to consolidate its role as a stable player in the region.