Turkey to open consulate in Benghazi

The president of the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Committee of the Libyan House of Representatives, Yousef Al-Agouri, met with the Turkish consul in Benghazi, Serkan Karmanlıoğlu, to improve commercial, economic and diplomatic relations and to formalise the opening of a new Turkish consulate in the city of Benghazi.

Turkey is a country of great importance in the Arab world and has strong support on the international scene. In this context, Al-Agouri thanked the Turkish investors who cooperate with Libyan companies and trust in Libyan legislation to complete and start their projects. The president of the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Committee also invited Turkish businessmen to visit Libya.

He also announced that the Libyan Parliament had created a Libyan-Turkish Parliamentary Friendship Committee, which will serve to improve diplomatic cooperation between the two countries and will be chaired by MP Saleheen Abdelnabi.

Finally, Al-Agouri expressed his gratitude to the Turkish authorities for their help during the floods caused by storm Daniel in 2023, which left more than 2,300 dead and more than 10,000 missing.

With regard to the opening of the consulate, the Turkish consul Karmanlıoğlu announced that visas will be granted directly from Benghazi to facilitate the procedures for Libyan citizens travelling to Turkey.

On the other hand, the Turkish consul pointed out the good relations that exist between Benghazi and Ankara and added that Turkey will always support the unity and stability of Libya. He also emphasised the need to see Libya as a strong and prosperous country. On the economic front, the consul acknowledged the return of direct flights by the Turkish airline Turkish Airlines, after years of absence following the pandemic. 

In terms of education, Karmanlıoğlu confirmed the official visit of a delegation of Turkish universities that visited the campuses of the main educational centres in Benghazi to offer scholarships to Libyan students at all educational levels. 

In recent years Turkey has positioned itself as a priority partner for the Libyan economy and, above all, in the energy sector in which it has a long history of investment and collaboration with companies in the Libyan oil sector. Libya's need to diversify its economy and Turkey's great capacity for renewable energy were consolidated with the ‘Renewable Energy Investment Agreement between Libya and Turkey’, signed at the end of 2024, marking a significant step in this direction.

The Turkish government's commitment to renewable technologies has made the nation a regional leader in energy innovation, making it a perfect partner for Libya's transition.