Turkey’s Spy Chief Visits Libya Amid Political Standoff – Reuters

ANKARA – Turkey’s intelligence chief recently visited Libya amid efforts by supporters of the Tripoli government to find a solution to a political deadlock that has halted the country’s oil exports and threatened four years of relative stability.

A Turkish security source reported that Ibrahim Kalin, head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Agency (MIT), met with Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah and other officials. Dbeibah leads Libya’s U.N.-recognized, Turkey-backed Government of National Unity.

During the meeting, Kalin expressed Ankara’s desire for conflicts in Libya to be resolved through national agreement, emphasizing the importance of maintaining stability and unity within the country.

Turkey, a NATO member, deployed military personnel to Libya in 2020 to assist the Tripoli-based government in its struggle against the forces of eastern commander Khalifa Haftar, known as the Libyan National Army.

Kalin’s visit marks the highest-level engagement between the two sides since Dbeibah traveled to Turkey in late May. This occurs as rival Libyan authorities strive to ease a political standoff following last month’s removal of veteran central bank chief Sadiq al-Kabir. The central bank plays a crucial role in managing the funds generated by Libya’s oil exports, which are vital to the national economy.

In response to the political impasse, factions in the east declared a shutdown of all oil production, demanding that Kabir’s dismissal be reconsidered. This action threatens the stability Libya has experienced over the past four years, especially considering the nation’s troubled history since 2011 and its division between eastern and western factions since 2014.