Top EU official expresses concern over Turkey and Russia’s growing influence in Libya

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell raised concerns about Turkey and Russia’s growing influence in Libya at a recent event hosted by Quo Vadis Europa, according to a report in Turkiye Today.

“We should be worried about what’s happening in Africa. When I first came to Brussels, the French and Italians were in Libya. They weren’t always in harmony, but they were present. Today, there are no Europeans left in Libya – only Turks and Russians,” Borrell reportedly told the audience, who were there to discuss the future of the European Union.

Libya remains divided between a UN-recognized government based in the capital Tripoli and a rival administration in the east, backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.

Following a civil war that erupted after the death of Muammar Gaddafi, both factions agreed to a ceasefire in 2020. However, tensions have escalated in recent months. Libya’s strategic location in the Mediterranean and its vast oil resources have attracted significant foreign intervention.

Reports indicate that the Kremlin has been providing troops and weapons to support Haftar’s Libyan National Army, while Turkey has been backing the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord with troops, drones, and air defenses, according to Voice of America.

“The bases along Libya’s coast are no longer European; they belong to Türkiye and Russia. This is not the Mediterranean order we envisioned,” Borrell remarked.