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Libyan National Army: Turkey Building Secret Military Base in Tripoli’s Mitiga Airport

A convoy vehicle is seen after reopening of the Mitiga airport in Tripoli, Libya October 29, 2019. (Reuters)
A convoy vehicle is seen after reopening of the Mitiga airport in Tripoli, Libya October 29, 2019. (Reuters)
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Libyan National Army: Turkey Building Secret Military Base in Tripoli’s Mitiga Airport

A convoy vehicle is seen after reopening of the Mitiga airport in Tripoli, Libya October 29, 2019. (Reuters)
A convoy vehicle is seen after reopening of the Mitiga airport in Tripoli, Libya October 29, 2019. (Reuters)

Turkey has started building a military base inside Mitiga International Airport in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, an informed source revealed.

The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Turkish military and intelligence officials were present at the base.

Mitiga is the only functional airport in western Libya. Fighting forced the closure of Tripoli International Airport in 2014 and it has been shut ever since.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said Ankara is planning to bolster its military presence in Libya through a secret military base. Turkish officers are also assisting at the operations command center affiliated with militias that are loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA).

The source’s comments coincided with reports that said Turkey was seeking to bring in more mercenaries and fighters from Kenya and Somalia to back the GNA.

Meanwhile, Libyan National Army (LNA) spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari released on Thursday video footage from inside a Turkish vessel that had unloaded modern weapons and military equipment at Tripoli port on Tuesday night.

Mismari deemed the development a Turkish “invasion” that violates all international laws and norms, as well as the ceasefire in the western region.

The spokesman also released photos of the military shipment.

France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier this week spotted a Turkish frigate escorting a cargo ship delivering armored vehicles to Tripoli in defiance of a UN embargo, a French military source said Thursday, according to AFP.

The cargo ship Bana, sailing under a Lebanese flag, docked in Tripoli port on Wednesday, said the source, who asked not to be named.

According to the Marine Traffic specialist website, the vessel was recorded Thursday off the coast of Sicily.

The claim came a day after President Emmanuel Macron accused his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan of failing "to keep his word" to end meddling in the north African country.

Specifically, Macron said Turkish ships had in recent days been seen taking ships laden with pro-Ankara Syrian mercenaries to Libya.

Meanwhile, United Nations envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame was set to meet with LNA commander Khlifa Haftar in the eastern city of Benghazi to persuade him to join the ten-member committee that would oversee the fragile truce in Libya.

The formation of the committee was agreed during last month’s Berlin conference. It will be comprised of five members from each of the LNA and GNA.

The committee is set to meet in Geneva on Tuesday, but that has been put to doubt over Haftar’s failure to name his candidates to the body.

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Hamas Comes Under Pressure in Lebanon

The Supreme Defense Council, chaired by President Joseph Aoun, issued a recommendation to the government to warn Hamas against using Lebanese territory for any actions that undermine national security (Lebanese Presidency)
The Supreme Defense Council, chaired by President Joseph Aoun, issued a recommendation to the government to warn Hamas against using Lebanese territory for any actions that undermine national security (Lebanese Presidency)
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Hamas Comes Under Pressure in Lebanon

The Supreme Defense Council, chaired by President Joseph Aoun, issued a recommendation to the government to warn Hamas against using Lebanese territory for any actions that undermine national security (Lebanese Presidency)
The Supreme Defense Council, chaired by President Joseph Aoun, issued a recommendation to the government to warn Hamas against using Lebanese territory for any actions that undermine national security (Lebanese Presidency)

Relations between Hamas and the Lebanese state have entered a critical phase not seen since the country’s civil war era. In a rare and direct move, Lebanon’s Supreme Defense Council on Friday named Hamas in an official warning, cautioning the group against using Lebanese territories to conduct activities that threaten national security.

The warning follows rocket attacks in March, allegedly launched by Hamas operatives toward Israel from southern Lebanon, and signals a turning point in Beirut’s handling of the longstanding issue of Palestinian arms.

The issue is expected to dominate discussions during the upcoming visit of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Beirut on May 21. Lebanese authorities are reportedly preparing to demand that Hamas hand over individuals implicated in the rocket attacks.

Hamas officials in Lebanon declined to comment immediately, but sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that an official statement from the group is forthcoming.

Last month, the Lebanese army said it had identified those responsible for the March 22 and 28 rocket launches, revealing a cell composed of Lebanese and Palestinian nationals. Subsequent raids led to several arrests and the seizure of equipment used in the attacks. Security sources later confirmed the detention of three Hamas members - two Palestinians and one Lebanese.

Analysts and insiders believe Hamas now finds itself increasingly isolated in Lebanon. According to Palestinian political analyst Hisham Debassy, the group has little choice but to comply with Lebanese demands, including potentially disarming.

“The Defense Council’s position marks a serious and strategic shift,” said Debassy. “It sends a strong political message not just to Hamas but to any non-state actor operating militarily on Lebanese soil.”

Debassy described Hamas as being at a crossroads. “Either it cooperates with Lebanese authorities by handing over wanted individuals and signaling respect for state sovereignty, or it continues down a path of confrontation, an option that carries significant political and security costs.”

He noted that Hamas currently lacks the internal cohesion and public support to take a defiant stance. Internal divisions have grown between factions aligned with Iran and others favoring political reintegration within the broader Muslim Brotherhood framework.

Political analyst Dr. Qassem Qassir said Hamas’ leadership, based largely in Qatar, remains mindful of Lebanon’s fragile security. “Hamas doesn’t want to endanger Lebanon,” he said, adding that the group is likely to act cautiously given the broader regional context.

Meanwhile, Abbas’ visit is seen as an opportunity to reshape Palestinian-Lebanese relations and advance state authority in Palestinian camps. Lebanese officials are seeking a roadmap, backed by the Palestinian Authority, that could lead to the phased dismantling of weapons in refugee camps, following similar efforts targeting pro-Syrian Palestinian factions in the Bekaa and Naameh regions.

Hamas’ presence in Lebanon had traditionally been limited to social and political activities. But its military footprint began to emerge after a 2022 explosion in the Burj al-Shemali camp. Since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023, Hamas’s armed wing has become more active in southern Lebanon, coordinating with Hezbollah in launching attacks on Israel, further complicating its position with Lebanese authorities.