ANKARA — The United States and Turkey are deepening coordination to unify Libya's fractured institutions, opening a new avenue for cooperation between Washington and Ankara as both sides push to stabilize the oil-rich country despite major political and financial obstacles. 

Since early 2026, Washington and Ankara have backed parallel efforts to reconnect institutions split between Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah’s Tripoli-based government and eastern authorities aligned with eastern commander Khalifa Hifter. Those efforts have extended across the military, financial and political spheres. Rival Libyan forces have joined US- and Turkish-led military drills, while eastern and western authorities approved a US-brokered public spending framework last month, Libya’s first common budget arrangement since 2013. Both Turkish and US officials have been increasing talks with officials from Libya's rival governments. 

But analysts warn that the process remains fragile, with opaque budget implementation, no settled political framework and deep resistance to any arrangement that entrenches Libya’s current power brokers.

Coordinated efforts