Turkish intervention in Libya (2020–present) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 2020 Turkish intervention in Libya |
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| Part of the Libyan civil war (2014–2020) | |||||||
Under the control of the House of Representatives and the Libyan National Army Under the control of the Government of National Accord (GNA) and different militias forming the Libya Shield Force Controlled by local forces
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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 Government of National Accord |
Supported by:
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Hulusi Akar Hakan Fidan Fayez al-Sarraj |
Khalifa Haftar Aguila Saleh Issa |
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| Strength | |||||||
Unknown 18,000 (Peak) 50 advisors |
unknown 1,200 Wagner Group  4,000 (peak) |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
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500 killed (per LNA) 27 killed (per LNA) |
100 killed (per Turkey, as of February 2020) 8 killed |
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In January 2020, Turkey sent its military to help the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya. The GNA was recognized by the United Nations. This happened during the Libyan civil war.
Turkey's parliament, called the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, agreed to send troops on January 2, 2020. The troops began arriving in Libya on January 5.
Turkey helped the GNA in several ways. They sent military advisors to train soldiers and help with operations. They also used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are drones, for air support. Intelligence officers and ships from the Turkish Navy also provided help. Turkey also hired and sent Syrian fighters to support the GNA. These fighters came from the Syrian National Army, which Turkey supported.
One main reason for Turkey's involvement was to gain access to resources and control sea areas in the Eastern Mediterranean. This was part of their "Blue Homeland Doctrine." This plan became more important after Turkey and Libya signed a special agreement about sea borders. Turkey also wanted to reduce the influence of countries like Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East and North Africa. Turkey's actions in Libya also caused disagreements with Greece, Israel, and Cyprus.
In December 2023, Turkey's parliament allowed its forces to stay in Libya for two more years. This extension started on January 2, 2024.
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Turkish Military Actions
After Turkey's parliament approved sending troops, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that Turkish forces had started arriving on January 5. Reports said that Turkish intelligence officers were the first to arrive.
On February 19, the Libyan National Army (LNA) claimed to have bombed a Turkish cargo ship. They said it was carrying supplies for Turkish-backed forces at the Port of Tripoli. However, the Turkish government denied that any Turkish ships were there.
On February 25, President Erdoğan confirmed that two Turkish soldiers had died in Libya. He also stated that 100 pro-LNA fighters had been killed in response. Photos showed that Turkey had sent tanks, self-propelled artillery, and multiple rocket launchers to Libya.
Operation Peace Storm
The GNA Prime Minister, Sarraj, announced "Operation Peace Storm" on March 25. Turkish drones and intelligence greatly supported this operation. On April 1, a Turkish Navy ship fired a missile at an LNA drone. The drone had come too close to the ship.
With Turkish drone support, GNA forces took back several coastal towns on April 13. These towns included Sorman, Sabratha, and Ajaylat. This reconnected GNA-controlled areas with the Tunisian border. Turkish attacks reportedly caused many casualties for LNA forces. They also destroyed military vehicles given to pro-Haftar forces by the United Arab Emirates.
In May 2020, Turkish drones reportedly destroyed several missile systems. By June 6, the GNA, with Turkey's help, had pushed Haftar's forces out of Tripoli. They also captured the LNA stronghold of Tarhouna. This was a major turning point in the conflict.
However, by the end of June, Egypt, which supported Haftar, warned Turkey and the GNA. Egypt threatened military action if the GNA attacked Sirte. The GNA government called this warning a declaration of war.
Clashes in Central Libya
On July 4, unknown warplanes attacked Al-Watiya Air Base. These airstrikes destroyed GNA military equipment brought by Turkey. This included air defense systems. Turkey's Defense Ministry admitted that some of their defense systems were damaged. Turkish officials said no one was killed. They promised to retaliate. They suggested the attack might have been carried out by Emirati aircraft.
On August 21, both the GNA and the LNA agreed to a ceasefire.
Foreign Fighters and Mercenaries
The Turkish government started sending fighters hired from the Syrian National Army (SNA) in December 2019. They first sent 300 fighters. By September 2020, 18,000 Syrian fighters had been sent to Libya. This included 350 underage children. Also, 471 of these fighters had been killed.
Some reports claimed that at least 50 Syrian fighters were former members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). It was also claimed that Turkish intelligence moved more than 2,500 Tunisian ISIL fighters to Libya. They were said to fight alongside Turkish-backed groups. However, the US State Department denied these claims. They stated that the fighters were "very likely" motivated by money, not by extreme beliefs.
In July 2020, reports said that Turkey sent Syrian, Tunisian, Egyptian, and Sudanese fighters to Libya by plane.
In 2020, the United States Department of Defense accused SADAT. SADAT is a private Turkish security company with close ties to the Turkish government. The report claimed SADAT trained Syrians who were sent to support pro-Turkish forces in Libya. The report also stated that Turkey sent thousands of Syrian fighters who had previously fought in the Syrian civil war.
In March 2021, the UN released a report. It confirmed the use of Syrian fighters and many violations by Turkey. It also mentioned that SADAT violated UN rules in Libya.
In May 2021, Libya's Foreign Minister, Najla Mangoush, asked Turkey to follow UN rules. She asked them to withdraw Turkish troops and fighters. The Turkish Foreign Minister responded that their military forces were there under a training agreement.
In July 2021, the United States added Turkey to a list of countries using child soldiers. This was because Turkey used them in Syria and Libya. A 2023 report also mentioned that Turkish-backed Syrian groups recruited and used Syrian children as soldiers in Libya.
Arms Trafficking and Inspections
In 2018, the UN criticized Turkey for sending weapons to Libya. This violated an arms embargo, which is a ban on sending weapons. The UN called these shipments "extremely disconcerting." Turkey's Foreign Minister denied the accusations.
In 2019, Turkish weapons shipments were found in Libya's port. Also, a cargo ship named Amazon Giurgiulesti carried weapons from Turkey to Libya. This violated UN sanctions. After this was discovered, the ship's registration was suspended. A UN report also stated that Jordan, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates were the main countries that often broke the arms embargo.
In 2020, Turkey stopped warships from Germany, France, and Greece from inspecting Turkish ships. These warships were part of EU Operation Irini and NATO Operation Sea Guardian. They suspected the Turkish vessels were carrying illegal weapons to Libya. One of the Turkish vessels was later found to have violated the UN arms embargo. The shipping company was then sanctioned by the EU.
Also, the captain of a Lebanese cargo ship was arrested in Italy. The ship was accused of carrying weapons and Turkish military personnel from Turkey to Libya. This was a violation of the UN arms embargo. French fighter jets also saw the delivery happening in Libya.
In 2020, a joint investigation by several news organizations found regular flights of cargo planes. These planes were transferring weapons and personnel between Turkish and Libyan airports.
In September 2021, a report from Operation Irini stated that Turkey refused inspections of its ships heading to Libya six times.
In February 2022, Turkish intelligence captured a Turkish arms dealer in Ukraine. He had exposed Turkish arms transfers to groups in Syria and Libya. Before his arrest, he said he bought weapons in Eastern European countries. Then, Turkish intelligence sent them to battlefields.
In May and October 2022, Turkey again refused inspections of its ships heading to Libya. In March 2023, Turkey denied another inspection request for one of its ships. The UN Security Council asked all UN members to cooperate with inspections.
Journalists Imprisoned
In September 2020, five Turkish journalists were jailed in Turkey. They had revealed documents about Turkish intelligence activities in Libya. Three of them were released in February 2022.
Reactions to Turkey's Actions
Many groups and countries reacted to Turkey's involvement in Libya.
Libyan Reactions
- House of Representatives – This government group, based in Tobruk, controlled most of Libya's territory and oil fields. They opposed the sea border agreement between Turkey and the GNA. They believed it extended Turkish sea borders too far. In December, their army seized a Turkish vessel but released it the next day.
- Government of National Unity – In May 2021, Libya's Foreign Minister asked Turkey to follow UN rules and withdraw its troops and fighters. Turkey's Foreign Minister said their forces were there under a training agreement.
International Reactions
Supranational Organizations
United Nations – The UN reported that Turkey was one of the countries that regularly violated the arms embargo on Libya. A March 2021 UN report also accused Turkey and other countries of many clear violations. The report included photos and maps to support these claims.
European Union – The EU did not approve of Turkey sending troops to Libya. On January 7, the EU's foreign policy chief and foreign ministers from Italy, France, Germany, and the UK called for an immediate ceasefire. In September 2020, the EU placed sanctions on a Turkish shipping company. This was because one of its vessels violated the UN arms embargo in Libya.
NATO – NATO's leader, Jens Stoltenberg, said that NATO fully supported the UN's efforts to find a peaceful solution. He urged all parties to support the UN-led process and respect the UN arms embargo.
Governments
Egypt – Egypt, an ally of the Tobruk government, said the Turkish-GNA sea and military deal was "illegal." Egypt's parliament approved sending its army to Libya for national security and to fight terrorists.
Tunisia – Tunisia refused Turkey's request to use its land for military shipments. However, Tunisia continued to support the GNA.
Greece – Greece sent two protest letters to the United Nations about the Libya–Turkey maritime deal. Greece believed the deal violated its own rights and threatened stability in the region. Greece also expelled Libya's ambassador after the deal became known.
Cyprus – Cyprus also spoke out against the Libya–Turkey sea deal. It tried to get other countries in the region to oppose the sea border part of the agreement.
Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry condemned Turkey's actions in Libya. They said it threatened security in Libya and the wider region. They called it an interference in another country's affairs.
Israel – Israel's acting foreign minister said Israel opposed the sea border agreement between Turkey and Libya. He confirmed the deal was "illegal" from Israel's point of view. Earlier, the Turkish navy had forced an Israeli research ship out of Cypriot waters. This led to Israeli concerns that Turkey wanted to control a wide area of the Mediterranean Sea.
France – France's foreign minister criticized the deal between Turkey and Libya. President Emmanuel Macron said France would not allow Turkey's military involvement in Libya. He accused Turkey of playing "a dangerous game."
Iran – Iran's Foreign Minister said that Libya's independence should be respected. He added that Turkey and Iran had similar views on Libya.
Bahrain – Bahrain's foreign ministry condemned Turkey's decision to send military forces to Libya. They opposed any foreign interference in Libya's internal matters. They said it could stop efforts to bring peace and security to Libya.
United Arab Emirates – The UAE condemned Turkey's decision to send military forces to Libya. They called it a clear violation of international law. The UAE said such actions would threaten Arab national security and negatively affect stability in the Mediterranean.
See also
- Libyan Civil War (2014–2020)
- 2020 in Libya
- 2020 in Turkey
- 2020 in politics and government
