Turkey, Italy, and Libya hold trilateral talks on migration and security

Istanbul meeting addresses Libya’s stability and Mediterranean migration routes

The leaders of Turkey, Italy, and Libya’s Tripoli-based government met in Istanbul on Friday to discuss pressing migration and security challenges in Libya, a country that has remained fractured since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

A divided Libya at the center of crisis

Libya has been split between rival administrations since Gadhafi’s fall, with Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah leading the UN-recognized government in Tripoli and Hammad heading the eastern administration, backed by military strongman Khalifa Hifter.

The power struggle, fueled by foreign-backed militias, has turned Libya into a hotspot for instability.

Migration: a shared concern for europe and North Africa

As a major transit point for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East, Libya remains a critical departure zone for dangerous Mediterranean crossings to Europe.

Italy, under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government, has intensified efforts to curb migrant arrivals, making cooperation with Libya and Turkey essential.

Seeking solutions amid ongoing instability

The trilateral talks aimed to address security cooperation and migration management, though lasting solutions remain elusive.

With Libya’s divisions persisting and human traffickers exploiting the chaos, the meeting underscored the need for regional collaboration to stabilize the country and manage migration flows.

The Istanbul summit highlights the complex interplay of geopolitics, security, and humanitarian concerns in the Mediterranean—a crisis with no easy resolution in sight.