Libya in terms of political geography

Libya, which has hosted many civilizations from past to present, is located at a very strategic point due to its location. An expedition was organized by the Ottoman administration against the Spanish pirates who carried out plundering activities against the ships using the Mediterranean and these lands came under Ottoman rule in 1551. After a long period of Ottoman rule, the country was occupied by the Italians. After the Italians, the state of Libya was established independently with the decision of the United Nations in 1951. The first head of state of the newly established country was King Idris. During this period, the first oil was discovered and started to be extracted in Libya. With the extraction of oil, interest in Libya has increased even more. Many settlement activities were carried out in the country with the revenues obtained from oil. In 1969, King Idris was dethroned in a bloodless coup and replaced by Muammar Gaddafi, who carried out the coup. Oil production and revenues continued to increase during the Gaddafi era. However, the revenues obtained were not fully reflected to the people; instead, Gaddafi made many attempts to unite with other states, especially Syria, and spent large amounts of money. The so-called Arab Spring, which led to the change of governments in many countries such as Tunisia, Egypt and Syria, spread to Libya in 2011 and the Muammar Gaddafi regime was ousted from power. While the events in other states were generally economically oriented, the cause of the events in Libya is considered to be the country's underground riches. The events in the country not only toppled the government but also dragged the country into a civil war. Due to the events, oil and natural gas production, the country's biggest source of income, came to a standstill and the people started to suffer great economic hardship. The tribes, which had a say in the governance of the country until today, fought each other due to both internal and external factors. After the start of the events, Haftar, a former general who had previously served in the Libyan army and sought refuge in the US, tried to take over the country but failed. When we look at the countries supporting Haftar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, France and Russia lead the way. On the other side is the Government of National Accord, the official representative of the country and recognized by the United Nations. These two groups within the country continue their struggle for power. The Government of National Accord, the official representative of the country, is supported by Turkey and Qatar. This study aims to reveal the geopolitical and geostrategic importance of Libya, a Mediterranean country. This thesis mainly utilizes the literature review method.