Erdogan’s ‘Blue Homeland’ and the Illegal Occupation of Libya |
This week, the Turkish presidency quietly submitted a memorandum to its parliament, demanding the extension of its military mandate in Libya for another 24 months.
If approved, Turkish boots will remain on North African soil until January 2028. This is not a peacekeeping mission. It is the cementing of a Neo-Ottoman outpost designed to project power, empower Islamist proxies, and hold European energy security hostage.
For too long, Western capitals have treated Turkey’s intervention in Libya with diplomatic ambiguity. But the facts on the ground—and the law itself—are no longer ambiguous. Ankara is building a permanent sphere of influence in North Africa based on illegal treaties and military coercion, directly undermining the stability of the entire Mediterranean basin.
The “Zombie” Treaty
The cornerstone of this expansionist project is the controversial 2019 “Maritime Boundary Treaty” signed between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the former Islamist-backed government in Tripoli. This deal attempted to redraw the map of the Mediterranean, claiming vast swathes of international waters for Turkey and effectively erasing the maritime sovereignty of Greece.
However, as........