Turkey resumes flights to Libya's Misrata as Ankara courts Tripoli, Hifter
The first direct flight from Istanbul to Misrata since 2015 underscores Turkey’s efforts to maintain good relations with the Tripoli government as well as its eastern-based rival.
ANKARA — Turkish Airlines has resumed direct flights from Istanbul to Libya’s Misrata after a decade-long suspension, as Ankara walks a tightrope between the two rival Libyan administrations.
The Tripoli-based government, Turkey’s traditional ally, controls Misrata, in the northwest, but the resumption of flights comes as Ankara has begun expanding its outreach to the authorities led by Khalifa Hifter, who controls eastern Libya.
What happened: The first Turkish Airlines flight touched down at Misrata International Airport on Tuesday, marking the carrier’s first landing there since 2015, when the escalating civil war forced a halt to services.
Mohammed al-Shuhubi, transport minister for Libya’s Tripoli government, Turkish Ambassador to Tripoli Guven Begec, and Turkish Airlines officials greeted the flight on the tarmac.
