Turkey has brought together rival military forces from eastern and western Libya for joint military exercises under the “EFES 2026” drills, in what analysts described as a significant shift in Ankara’s Libya strategy and a broader effort to expand its influence in the eastern Mediterranean.
According to a report by Radio France Internationale, 501 Libyan military personnel from both Benghazi and Tripoli participated together under one Libyan flag during the Turkish-led exercises, marking the first such internationally recognised joint participation by Libya’s divided military institutions.
The report described the move as a bold Turkish attempt to engage both sides of the Libyan conflict. While Ankara has remained a key supporter of the government in Tripoli since 2019, it has increasingly sought closer ties with eastern Libyan authorities aligned with Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
Aya Burweila, a researcher at the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy in Athens, said the joint exercises could contribute to future military unification in Libya.
“There should be one unified army in Libya,” she said, adding that the exercises encourage cooperation between the rival factions and could positively affect stability efforts.
Burweila described the drills held in May as evidence of a major Turkish shift toward eastern Libya, noting that Ankara is now seeking balanced relations with both sides through military cooperation, trade interests, drone agreements and commercial partnerships.
Analyst Jalel Harchaoui said Turkey’s rapprochement with eastern Libya is linked to its ambitions in the eastern Mediterranean, particularly the implementation of the 2019 maritime agreement signed with Tripoli establishing an exclusive economic zone.
Harchaoui argued that Ankara requires the support of the Haftar camp to secure parliamentary ratification and practical implementation of the agreement, especially as the relevant coastline lies largely in eastern Libya.
The maritime deal remains strongly opposed by Greece and Cyprus, which argue it violates their territorial waters. Similar concerns have also been raised by Egypt and Israel.
The report also noted that Turkey recently delivered additional military drones to forces aligned with Haftar, continuing what observers described as Ankara’s “carrot and stick” policy in Libya.
Turkey’s Defence Ministry has reportedly expressed plans to organise further joint military exercises involving Libyan forces, as Ankara intensifies efforts to strengthen its strategic role in Libya and across the eastern Mediterranean region.
