Ankara pushing ahead with Libyan offensive
The Turkish parliament has brought forward the decision on whether to launch a military offensive in Libya to today, Thursday. Erdoğan says the goal of the mission is to aid the Sarraj government, which is recognised by the UN. The step puts him at loggerheads with Russia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which support General Haftar and whose troops are marching on Tripoli. What does the escalation portend?
Europe paying the price for its failure
The escalation in Libya will send shock waves far beyond the country's borders, Le Monde predicts:
“A geopolitical disaster is shaking up Europe's neighbours to the south under the helpless gaze of an international community - in particular the European Union - which has failed dismally. ... We must sound the alarm in the face of the powder keg that Libya has become. The spiral of foreign interference threatens not only the situation in the eastern Mediterranean, but also the stability of North Africa and the Sahel. ... If a Turkish-Russian rulership similar to that in Syria manages to establish itself in Libya, Europe will look on from its front row seat and pay the price for its failure.”
A duel over gas and oil
The only thing Turkey and Russia are looking for in Libya is business, columnist Franco Venturini explains in Corriere della Sera:
“When the time to negotiate arrives, when the two Libyan forces are openly declared the real losers, the only thing on the negotiating table will be Russia's and Turkey's smoking Colts. They will decide - or so they hope - whether and how Libya remains united. They will be the first to lay their hands on Libya's oil and gas. And they will decide who gets to stand in line for the crumbs.”
Erdoğan tying to imitate Putin
Ria Nowosti sees parallels between Erdoğan's plans for Libya and Russia's Syria mission, which started in 2015:
“A legal government that controls only a small part of the country and faces collapse in the face of military strikes by the opposition is asking an influential ally for help - and getting it. How that ended in Syria is common knowledge. The 'doomed Kremlin adventure' was salvation for the Syrian state and a military-political triumph for Russia, bringing it economic benefits and a key role in the Middle East process. No wonder Moscow's experiences are attractive for many and arouse the desire to imitate them.”