Shifting Dynamics: Toward a New Era in Libya?
Zoom Webinar
The conflict in Libya has recently developed in a new direction. With the retreat of General Haftar’s forces from Tripoli and the GNA’s recent advances towards the key city of Sirte, the dynamics on the ground appear to be shifting in favor of Libya’s UN-recognized government. Turkey and the GNA’s rebuttal of an Egyptian-proposed ceasefire attests to the GNA’s momentum. Regional geopolitics continue to shape the situation in Libya. Even after the retreat of mercenary groups, Russia has signaled its willingness to support Haftar’s forces by relocating more combat aircraft to eastern Libya. Turkey continues to show its support for the government in Tripoli within the framework of a series of mutual agreements with the GNA. Prime Minister al-Sarraj’s recent meeting with President Erdogan in Turkey was the most recent indication of a burgeoning relationship. President Erdogan indicated, after his most recent phone call with President Trump, that they arrived at certain “agreements” over Libya. The ongoing conflict has implications for the Middle East, Eastern Mediterranean as well as the US-Turkey relationship.
The SETA Foundation at Washington, DC is pleased to host an expert panel discussion on the ongoing conflict in Libya.
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Speakers
Muhittin Ataman, Director, Foreign Policy Program, The SETA Foundation
Silvia Colombo, Head of Italy’s foreign policy Program, Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI)
Moderator
Kadir Ustun, Executive Director, The SETA Foundation at Washington DC
Bios
Muhittin Ataman is Director of the Foreign Policy Program at the SETA Foundation and Editor in Chief of the peer-reviewed academic journal Insight Turkey. Prof. Dr. Ataman also teaches at Ankara Sosyal Bilimler University. His research covers Turkish foreign policy, the Middle East and the Gulf politics.
Silvia Colombo is Head of the Italy’s foreign policy Programme at IAI and Senior Fellow in the Mediterranean and Middle East programme. She is an expert on Middle Eastern politics and in this capacity she is working on Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, transatlantic relations in the Mediterranean and domestic and regional politics in the Arab World.
Kadir Ustun is Executive Director at the SETA Foundation at Washington DC. He previously served as the Research Director at SETA DC and as Assistant Editor of Insight Turkey. His research focus is the US-Turkey relations and Turkish foreign policy.
