Egypt and Turkey, two regional powers often seen on opposing sides of the Libyan conflict, have found rare alignment in calling for the formation of a unified Libyan government to steer the country toward long-delayed elections.
The consensus comes amid mounting unrest in Libya and rising calls for the resignation of the interim government led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbaiba.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, in a meeting with US presidential advisor Masad Boulos on Sunday, reaffirmed Cairo’s position that the only path to ending the Libyan crisis is through a Libyan-led political agreement resulting in a single, unified executive authority.
This government, he said, must have full legitimacy from the House of Representatives, the High Council of State, and the Presidential Council, and must lead the country into simultaneous parliamentary and presidential elections.
Sisi also emphasized that Egypt is among the countries most impacted by Libya’s instability and remains committed to supporting reconciliation, ending institutional fragmentation, and restoring security.
In a parallel statement, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Jeune Afrique newspaper that Ankara believes Libya must establish a unified government before elections can take place.
He warned that without consensus, elections could become a point of deeper conflict between eastern and western factions. Fidan stressed that the solution must come from a Libyan-led roadmap with broad support across political and geographic divides.
Inside Libya, pressure is intensifying on Dbaiba’s government. Speaker of Parliament Ageela Saleh on Monday repeated his call for Dbaiba to step down, stating that the government had legalized militia power, worsened political chaos, and committed crimes against civilians, including the use of live ammunition against peaceful demonstrators.
Saleh warned that the government is no longer legitimate and should be prosecuted for its actions. He called on Parliament to urgently select a new prime minister capable of leading a transitional phase.
Meanwhile, protests are expanding in Western cities. In recent days, several ministers, responsible for the economy, housing, culture, and water resources, have resigned in solidarity with the demonstrators, blaming the government’s failure to uphold basic standards of governance and accountability.
