U.S. Vacuum: How Libya Is Descending Into A Russia-Turkey Proxy War

[rpannier]

Libya has been torn by civil war since longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi was killed in an uprising in 2011 following a NATO-led bombing campaign.

The conflict has descended into a proxy war as regional and international powers jostle to secure their own interests in the oil-rich North African nation.

snip

Libya has been divided since 2011. The country’s west is ruled by the internationally recognized and UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in the capital, Tripoli. Eastern Libya is run by a self-declared administration based in the city of Tobruk that is backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.

snip

Russia has condemned Turkey’s decision to increase its military assistance to the Tripoli government. Meanwhile, Ankara has slammed the presence of Russia-linked mercenaries in Libya.

link
https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-vacuum-how-libya-is-descending-into-a-russia-turkey-proxy-war-/30389900.html

[moondust]

1. What does Turkey want?

Russia probably wants to return to the good old days of selling their weapons systems to Libya as they did with Gaddafi. The UN may not approve of that but Haftar may want them?

And oil?

$$$$$$$

[rpannier]

2. Energy

from the article

In November, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Sarraj signed a military cooperation agreement and a separate deal on maritime boundaries that would give Turkey drilling and pipeline rights over a large swath of the Mediterranean Sea between the countries. The deal has been widely criticized.

Large reserves of gas have been discovered in the eastern Mediterranean and Erdogan has said he envisages joint energy-exploration activities with Libya there.