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The termination of all contracts with Turkish firms by Libya's interim government in Tobruk on Sunday is a price Ankara has to pay for its ill-thought-out foreign policy, analysts believe.
The government of Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni said in a decision that the cabinet "decided to review all contracts with foreign companies in all areas and exclude Turkish firms from operating in Libya."
Although the cabinet did not spell out the reasons for the move, it was widely believed that Turkey is seen as favoring the alternative government in Tripoli that was supported by an armed group called Libya Dawn.
"Unfortunately Turkish firms are paying the toll for the policies pursued by Turkey's political Islamist government," Abdullah Bozkurt, Turkish analyst, told Xinhua.
"Just as Turkey has terrible relations with Egypt due former's ideological stand, it enflames tension with Egypt's western neighbor, Libya, precisely because of same fallacy," he added.
Turkey has dealt with both governments and Emrullah Isler, Turkey's special envoy to Libya, met with Libya's self-declared prime minister Omar al-Hassi last year.
The visit, believed as the first for an foreign official to meet with al-Hassi, raised eyebrows as some claimed Turkey backs Islamists in Libya. Turkey denied that charge, saying it backs a UN initiative to mediate a peace between warring factions in Libya.
In the past, Thinni accused Ankara of interfering in the domestic affairs of Libya including providing support to renegade government and warned of ending contracts of Turkish businesses in the country. That triggered a trading of harsh words last week between Turkey and Tobruk government.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat in Cairo last week, Thinni said, "what is coming from Turkey is definitely having a negative impact on the security and stability of Libya," warning that the government will take measures against Turkey.
"Turkish firms are the ones who will lose their investments in Libya," Tinni underlined.
The Turkish government denied any interference into Libyan affairs.
"We expect interim government officials review their irresponsible attitude and avoid hostile and baseless statements against our country," Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tanju Bilgic said recently.
The flare up in tension led the Turkish government to issue a warning to its citizens, advising them to leave Libya immediately.
"Turkey must normalize its ties with Egypt and should be able work with regional countries to stabilize Libya in order to limit the negative fallout from Libyan crisis," Idris Gursoy, Ankara-based Turkish analyst, told Xinhua.
"Turkey and Libya has long-standing historical ties. Ankara should avoid from being seen as favoring one side in Libya," he added.
Libya has been going through a turbulent period since its former leader Muammar Gaddafi was ousted from power in 2011.
Turkish companies had assumed more than 29 billion U.S. dollars worth of contracts and completed 565 projects in Libya since 1970s but their business suffered since 2011 because of political instability amid fight between warring factions.
The Turkish Contractors Association (TMB) President Mithat Yenigun said on Monday that the Thinni government's expulsion decision was not reached to any of its member businesses located in Libya.
He said TMB is following the developments very closely, saying that many Turkish businesses have already left Libya while the remainder has downsized their operations in the last four years because of violence, clashes and instability.
Turkey and Libya had 2.3 billion U.S. dollars in trade volume in 2014. Enditem
