Lieutenant General Saddam Khalifa Haftar, Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces of the Libyan National Army (LNA), held talks on Sunday with Turkish Consul Serkan Karmanlıoğlu to discuss the reopening of Turkey’s consulate in Benghazi.
The meeting took place at the LNA General Command headquarters in Rajma, near Benghazi, and was attended by the Secretary-General of the General Command, Lieutenant General Khairi Al-Tamimi.
According to a statement from the LNA’s War Information Division, the two sides discussed several joint matters, foremost among them preparations for reopening the Turkish consulate in Benghazi to provide consular services to Libyan citizens in the east of the country.
This meeting marks another step forward in what has been a rapid thaw in relations between Turkey and the eastern-based Libyan authorities. Ties between the LNA and Ankara have warmed significantly in recent months, following years of political and military rivalry.
Saddam Haftar’s visit to Ankara in April was seen as a major turning point. During that trip, he met with Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler and senior figures in the Turkish Armed Forces, signalling an openness to future cooperation.
Turkey had previously closed its Benghazi consulate amid Libya’s protracted conflict and has long been viewed as a key backer of the rival Tripoli-based government. However, recent diplomatic efforts suggest a recalibration in Turkey’s Libya policy aimed at engaging with all parties.
The potential reopening of the consulate in Benghazi would represent a symbolic and practical development in Turkish-LNA relations, potentially paving the way for broader collaboration.
