Security, Stability, and Cooperation in the Mediterranean: the Case of Libya and Turkey

Date

2022-10

Type

Conference paper

Conference title

Center for Middle Eastern Studies (ORSAM), and the Social Sciences University of Ankara in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (ASBU-KKTC)

Author(s)

Mustafa A. A. Kashiem

Abstract

The-Euro-Mediterranean cooperation dates back to the most ancient human civilizations due to the openness of the Mediterranean peoples to each other in times of peace and war. Nevertheless, contemporary Euro-Mediterranean cooperation institutionally dates back to the second half of the twentieth century, when the peoples of the Southern Mediterranean gained their political independence on the one hand and concluded cooperation agreements on the other hand. Thus, Turkey and Libya have created a geopolitical alliance in the 21st century. The Turkish-Libyan bloc is a cumulative process due to history and geography. This study's problem may summarize in the following three questions: What is the content and impact of the MoUs? How and why did Turkey and Libya conclude the MoUs? What is the future of bilateral relations between Turkey and Libya? This study assumes the influence of the Maritime and Security-Military Agreements on Turkish-Libyan relationships. The last two agreements also affect the international relations level. Analyzing the Maritime and Military agreements indicates that public opinion towards them is mixed and confused. At the state level, the Maritime and Military agreements resulted in the GNA's victory over the Haftar's forces in April 2020 and extended coordination and cooperation with Turkey to non-political fields. Also, the two agreements resulted in the IRINI operation led by the European Union "EU." Furthermore, the Maritime and Military MoUs are increasing the conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean region, e.g., Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt. Keywords: Security, Stability, Cooperation, Memorandum of Understandings “MoUs," Haftar, Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum "EMGF," Government of National Accord “GNA.", and Libyan National Army "LNA."

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