France is losing its influence in Libya with anxious about the rise of Turkish influence in North Africa

After losing the confrontation in Libya, France wants to keep its influence in the North African region from Turkish penetration, and is beginning to find difficulties in Tunisia and Algeria, and Morocco remains aloof from Ankara’s plans.

France was expelled in Libya after dreaming of making this oil-rich country its future energy base, and its loss came because of Haftar’s successor, supported by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. 

France withdrew from NATO forces monitoring the arms embargo on Libya. 

Military tension occurred between two warships, one Turkish and one French last month in the Mediterranean, as it prevented the second from inspecting a ship that was transporting military equipment to the Tripoli government.

The ruling political class in France began to realize that Libya was lost forever, in light of the Turkish side’s insistence on providing military and political support to the Fayez al Sarraj government and restricting all other countries that wish to implement their plans in Libya, such as Egypt and the UAE.

Paris is watching Turkey’s policy anxiously in North Africa, and if it is reassured to Morocco for its policy independent of Turkish influence, Tayyip Recep Erdogan has visited Morocco only once in years and King Mohammed VI has not received it, as it is worried about Tunisia, Algeria and possibly Mauritania.

France is aware of the hostility of public opinion in North Africa, and Tunisia is looking for new partners to support its economy.

It is not hostile to Ankara’s policy in North Africa, but is working to coordinate with it on the Libyan file because of Tunisia’s recognition of the legal wisdom.

Since Erdogan’s visit to Tunisia last December, Turkey has been continuing to raise its investments in this country, but the pandemic has stopped it.

Algeria meets Turkey more about Libya than it does with France. It does not want to see Egyptian influence close to its southeastern borders, nor is a government loyal to France in Libya.

Turkey adopts a smart strategy, which is coordination with countries in North Africa and reaching agreements in the form of a political partnership instead of making it loyal to it and supporting its policy, that is, France’s policy.

France is working to revitalize its diplomacy in North Africa.

The French President Macron recently received his Tunisian counterpart, Qais, and Macron visited Nouakchott last Monday to participate in the Sahel Summit to strengthen the French presence, which everyone began to wonder about its retreat in the region.