France’s growing spat with Turkey over the Libyan civil war has exposed cracks in the Nato military alliance and raised questions over what Paris is seeking to achieve in the region. France was the only European country deemed to be a supporter of renegade general Khalifa Haftar, who launched a more than year-long offensive on Tripoli to oust the UN-backed government. The dispute with Ankara has escalated as Turkey’s military intervention backing the Tripoli-based administration shifted the dynamics of the Libyan conflict, with Gen Haftar’s forces suffering a string of defeats in recent weeks.
resident Emmanuel Macron insists Paris has now adopted a neutral stance and that it fully supports the UN-supported peace process in Libya agreed by international powers in January. But some suggest the claimed recalibration and the French criticism of Ankara have more to do with the Tripoli government’s success since April in repelling Mr Haftar’s offensive, with the help of weapons and mercenaries sent by Turkey. “The French have realised Haftar has become a liability and not an asset any more,” one veteran western diplomat says of the French position. “I
believe they are embarrassed because once again they made a mistake. Faced with this mistake, they have to justify it and they blame Turkey.” The dispute highlights tensions between European powers embroiled in Libya since its descent into chaos after a Nato bombing campaign led by Britain and France helped oust Muammer Gaddafi in 2011. France’s decision to align with Gen Haftar’s backers, notably the United Arab Emirates, reflects its preoccupation with protecting commercial stakes in the oil industry and fighting Islamist terrorism in the Sahel, said Tarek Megerisi, policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
“France has different interests to Germany and Italy in Libya and it has moved to protect these interests,” Mr Megerisi said. “It has security interests in the Sahel and a wider security partnership that it is building with the United Arab Emirates – and in which Egypt is a big part .” Last week, France suspended its involvement in a Nato mission off Libya’s coast, amid what it claimed was the hostile behavior of Turkish warships. Florence Parly, France’s defense minister, addressing the EU parliament, said Turkey’s actions were “unworthy of a Nato ally”.