ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the interests of the EU and Turkey in Libya and their responses to the crisis, clarifies the question around potential cooperation, and analyses Turkey’s interaction with the EU regarding specific cooperative opportunities in order to assess why and to what degree there was cooperation. Specifically, the chapter examines Turkey’s decision to be critical of, and to introduce restrictive measures against, the Gaddafi regime after 1 March, Turkey’s decision to initiate an evacuation operation by sea on 20 February, and Turkey’s decision to support and participate in the NATO intervention, Operation Unified Protector, 23 March – 31 October. The analysis finds that despite the differences of views, there was a continuous exchange of information between EU and Turkish officials regarding the developments in Libya, and these exchanges allowed the two sides to develop a better understanding of each other’s positions. The crisis presents an example in which the EU had more to gain from cooperation with Turkey rather than the other way around.
