Biography

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Omar Turbi (Fathi) born in Derna, Libya. Recognized and credited for being instrumental in persuading the United States government to take part in NATO operations to save Libyan civilian lives during the February 17th Libyan revolution which succeeded by ousting the Qaddafi dictatorship. It must be noted, throughout the 1st eights months of the revolution,Turbi diligently assisted the Libyan people with humanitarian and medical aid and served as an advisor to the National Transitional Council. 

Turbi is a distinguished Arab American, recognized for his support of democratic institutions, and Muslim causes in the United Sates. He is a member of the National Advisory Board of American-Arab Anti discrimination Committee , (AADC) the largest grassroots Arab American organization in the USA, an active member of the Republican Party, and a Chairman Emeritus of the Arab American Republican Council. He served on the board of Trustees of the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA), with 82 branches throughout the United States, renowned for impressive successes in international & foreign policy.

Turbi, is a prominent member of the Libyan opposition with a keen interest in Libyan western affairs. He earned a scholarship to study nuclear physics in the seventies. After working in exile for over 20 years promoting democracy and human rights in Libya, he returned to Libya in 2004 to continue the same work on the inside. Turbi’s life was profoundly effected when the Libyan regime arbitrarily imprisoned his older brother Dr. Omran Turbi, and many friends in 1984 for the next 17 years. 

In March, 1985, Turbi, Dr. Amin El-Huni, and Dr. Mohamed Shwehdi founded Libyan Human Rights Commission. The Commission gained prominence when it delivered the 1^st intervention speech on Libyan violations at the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva, Switzerland in 1989, and its active participation at World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in 1993. The Commission helped hundreds of Libyans secure political asylum in Western Europe throughout the nineties.  

By 1999 Libyan exiled community reached a point of hopelessness in affecting democratic changes in Libya.  It became apparent to Turbi that the only path for improving the lives of the Libyan people is promoting constructuve engagement with the Libyan regime. Encouraged Libyans to return. 

Turbi’s testimony to the U.S House of representatives in July 1999 & participation in think tank forums on U.S Libya relations sparked a debate in Washington. He strongly advocated  constructive engagement and dialogue with the Libyan regime. He laid out a vision then that served the mutual interests of the United States, and the Libyan people.   Turbi’s agenda began when he negotiated the release of over 413 political prisoners, and appealed in person to all members of the Libyan regime for the safe passage and return by members of the Libyan exiled opposition community.  

For the next nine years, Turbi traveled into Libya as a U.S citizen, and continued a mission of engagement through political, educational and cultural exchanges. He was offered government posts as honorary Consul in 2004, and Executive Director of Libyan Economic Development Board (EDB) in 2008. Turbi declined both proposals.  His testimony to the U.S Congress in March 2004 summed up the successes of his vision born in 1999.

It must be noted that Turbi was denied a visa to enter Libya for over 18 months leading up to the February 17^th revolt. He had become more vocal on the inside of  Libya in opposition to the regime due to absence of free speech,  increased level of corruption and lack of progress on unemployment, and free enterprise.

Since the start of the Libyan revolution in February Turbi has relentlessly lobbied the U.S and EU governments for intervention to save Libyan civilians, and  remove the Qaddafi regime. He helped draft Congressional resolution HR188, and pushed for recognition of the interim National Transitional Council as the legitimate representative of the Libya people. He was appointed as an adviser to NTC in March (Not an official post). He is a frequent commentator on CNN, BBC & Al-Jazeera and other TV and radio networks.

He holds a BSEE from the University of Wisconsin, and completed graduate work in business and international relations. He worked for IBM, and later Motorola, where he learned Six Sigma Quality Systems and became expert in off shore high technology manufacturing. He set up several major plants in Asia. Turbi co-fouded several high technology companies. He is currently the President & CEO of Orbit Systems, Inc. a semiconductor, computer products, and IT services, commercial & defense based in California. The company ships products from 39 locations throughout the USA, Asia, & EU.  

Turbi has three sons, Omar, Adam, and Zayd. His hobbies include, flying, skydiving, skiing, horseback riding, fishing, and writing.

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