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The Turkish government has urged its citizens to avoid travel to Libya and advised those currently in the country to remain indoors following days of intense fighting in the capital Tripoli.
In a security and travel advisory issued on May 14, Türkiye's Foreign Ministry instructed all citizens to "refrain from traveling to Libya" due to the deteriorating security situation. The violence, described by local officials as "urban warfare," has involved the use of light, medium, and heavy weapons in residential areas.
"Citizens who are already in Libya should remain where they are, and those in Tripoli, Misrata, and surrounding areas should not travel under any circumstances," the advisory stated.
The Turkish Embassy in Tripoli announced plans to arrange evacuation flights from Misrata to Istanbul for citizens wishing to leave the country. "Flights operated by Libyan companies from Misrata Airport to our country will continue," the embassy said in a follow-up statement on May 15.
The statement added that authorities are working to establish bus transportation from Tripoli to Misrata if security conditions allow, with priority given to children, the elderly, and women temporarily in Tripoli.
The latest outbreak of violence began on May 12 when clashes erupted between the 444th Infantry Brigade and the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA) following the assassination of SSA commander Abdel Ghani al-Kikli. This marks the first major armed confrontation in Tripoli since the 2023 clashes.
The fighting has consumed several parts of Tripoli, with residents reporting heavy gunfire and explosions across multiple neighborhoods. Videos verified by fact-checkers captured the sound of medium-calibre gunfire in areas where the SSA militia operates. Latest of the developments came on Friday when Libyan Minister Bader Toumi resigned from “Dbaiba’s” government.
Although a ceasefire was announced on May 14, and large-scale violence had largely subsided by the morning of May 15, Turkish officials warned that "the situation remains volatile and a return to violence is possible." Tripoli's only functioning international airport, Mitiga, remains closed.
Turkish citizens requiring evacuation have been instructed to submit their personal and contact information to the embassy by 3:00 p.m. on May 15 via email or through the Foreign Ministry's emergency call center.
Libya has been divided between two rival governments since 2014 - the UN-recognized Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, and the eastern-based Government of National Stability backed by General Khalifa Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army.
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