On 4 April, Saddam Haftar visited Turkey on an official working trip at the invitation of Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Chief of the Turkish Land Forces. He was warmly received with formal military honours in Ankara. The visit featured high-level discussions with Turkish officials, including Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, focusing on strengthening military cooperation between Libya and Turkey. Key topics included enhancing bilateral military ties, addressing regional security concerns, such as terrorism and organized crime, and expanding collaboration on military training and capacity building, with plans for joint training programs.
On 5 April, former Government of National Unity (GNU) Minister of State for Economic Affairs Salama al-Ghweil described Saddam Haftar’s visit to Ankara as a significant shift in Libya’s geopolitical and regional landscape. Al-Ghweil emphasized that this event symbolizes a new phase of regional cooperation based on shared strategic interests rather than temporary solutions. He argued that Libya must move beyond chaos, with regional and international powers supporting those capable of rebuilding the state and establishing effective institutions, particularly in military and civil sectors. Al-Ghweil highlighted the Libyan National Army’s (LNA) role as the ‘backbone of state stability’. Al-Ghweil called for prioritizing national cooperation over divisions, urging rational decision-making and national will to rebuild Libya into a prosperous state.