Turkish exercise sees Libya’s rival forces train together for second time within weeks

İZMİR, Turkey — The Government of National Unity in Tripoli and the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army are inching together to overcome their differences during several weeks of military training.

The Turkish Efes-2026 exercise marks the second instance in a short period in which Libya’s rival factions have participated in the same multinational exercise, an indication of accelerating rapprochement between the two sides.

Coordinated by the Aegean Army Command, the exercise’s Computer-Assisted Command Post Phase, conducted between 11–17 April, included Distinguished Observer Day activities in Istanbul and Izmir. The live phase of the exercise is scheduled to take place here between April 20 and May 21.

“The fact that eastern and western Libyan elements have, for the first time, come together under the same exercise framework is being viewed as a critical milestone for the vision of a ‘single and unified Libya,’” reads a defense ministry statement.

The MND said 331 personnel from eastern Libya and 177 personnel from western Libya, along with the fast-attack craft Shafak, are participating in the Efes-2026 drill.

“This development marks an important step not only in military cooperation, but also in strengthening unity, cohesion and institutional alignment in Libya,” the Turkish MND said.

Turkey continues to pursue its approach to Libya under “One Army, One Libya,” supporting the country’s unity, cohesion, peace and stability across both its eastern and western regions.

Both Libyan factions recently took part in the Flintlock-2026 Multinational Special Forces Exercise, held in the city of Sirte, Libya, and the exercise was successfully completed. Flintlock is U.S. Africa Command’s premier multinational training event.

Held April 13-30 in Libya and Côte d’Ivoire, the this year’s iteration of the exercise saw participation from Turkey, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Chad, France, Italy, Libya, Hungary, Egypt and Tunisia.

In a statement, AFRICOM said that for the first time Libya was hosting an operating location with joint forces training alongside one another. These efforts are supported by a committee supporting Libyan joint forces efforts, known as the 3+3 Libyan Joint Military Committee.

Cem Devrim Yaylali is a Turkey correspondent for Defense News. He is a keen photographer of military ships and has a passion for writing about naval and defense issues. He was born in Paris, France, and resides in Istanbul, Turkey. He is married with one son.

土耳其伊兹密尔——的黎波里民族团结政府和驻扎在托布鲁克的利比亚国民军正在通过数周的军事训练，逐步克服彼此间的分歧。

土耳其的“Efes-2026”演习是利比亚敌对派系在短时间内第二次参加同一项多国联合演习，这表明双方关系正在加速缓和。

此次演习由爱琴海陆军司令部协调，其计算机辅助指挥所阶段于4月11日至17日举行，其中包括在伊斯坦布尔和伊兹密尔举行的杰出观察员日活动。演习的实战阶段计划于4月20日至5月21日在此地举行。

国防部的一份声明称：“利比亚东部和西部各派势力首次在同一演习框架下走到一起，这被视为实现‘单一统一的利比亚’愿景的关键里程碑。”

利比亚国防部表示，来自利比亚东部的 331 名人员和来自利比亚西部的 177 名人员，以及快速攻击艇“沙法克”号，正在参加“埃菲斯-2026”演习。

土耳其国防部表示：“这一进展不仅标志着军事合作迈出了重要一步，也标志着加强利比亚的团结、凝聚力和制度协调迈出了重要一步。”

土耳其继续奉行“一个军队，一个利比亚”的利比亚政策，支持利比亚东部和西部地区的团结、凝聚力、和平与稳定。

利比亚两大派系近期均参加了在利比亚苏尔特市举行的“燧发枪-2026”多国特种部队联合演习，演习圆满结束。“燧发枪”是美国非洲司令部最重要的多国联合训练活动。

今年的联合军演于 4 月 13 日至 30 日在利比亚和科特迪瓦举行，土耳其、美国、德国、英国、乍得、法国、意大利、利比亚、匈牙利、埃及和突尼斯等国参加了此次演习。

美国非洲司令部在一份声明中表示，利比亚首次成为联合部队并肩训练的作战基地。这些努力得到了一个名为“3+3利比亚联合军事委员会”的支持，该委员会负责协助利比亚联合部队开展训练。

杰姆·德夫里姆·亚伊拉利是《防务新闻》驻土耳其记者。他热衷于拍摄军舰，并对海军和国防议题充满热情。他出生于法国巴黎，现居土耳其伊斯坦布尔。他已婚，育有一子。