Turkey is preparing to sign new oil and gas exploration agreements with Libya, according to Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar. The deal is expected to be announced soon, as Ankara expands its energy footprint across the Mediterranean and North Africa.
Bayraktar’s statement, reported by Bloomberg and Energy News platforms, outlined Turkey’s plan to pursue exploration ventures in Libya, Iraq, and Bulgaria, following recent agreements with Somalia. The move reflects Ankara’s growing interest in regional energy cooperation.
Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU), led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbaiba, previously signed a maritime deal with Turkey in October 2022. That agreement allowed Turkish companies to explore for oil and gas in Libyan waters. However, the forthcoming deal suggests a broader political and strategic alignment, especially after recent developments involving Libya’s eastern authorities.
On 4 April, Lieutenant General Saddam Haftar, Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces of the Libyan National Army (LNA), visited Ankara in a rare official meeting. Observers viewed the visit as a sign of Turkey’s evolving stance towards eastern Libya and its leadership.
According to the US-based military outlet Defense News, Ankara’s outreach to the LNA may be a strategic response to Greece’s activities in the Eastern Mediterranean. The visit follows reports that US energy giant Chevron is eyeing a 47,000-square-kilometre area south of Crete—territory that overlaps with Libya’s claimed exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Greek officials have called this a “game-changing development,” interpreting it as Washington’s tacit backing of Greek maritime claims.
The potential Turkey-Libya deal, if confirmed, would deepen Turkey’s presence in contested waters and could reshape energy and geopolitical alliances in the region.
