Turkey’s Erdogan paves the way for troop deployment in Libya

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan opens the way for direct military intervention in Libya, announcing a parliamentary vote in early January on sending troops to support the UN-backed Tripoli government against strongman Khalifa Haftar.

Sending Turkish troops will complicate the situation in an already fragile country torn by internal dissent since the ouster and killing of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

“We will present the motion to send troops (to Libya) as soon as parliament resumes” on January 7, Erdogan says in a speech in Ankara.

“God willing, we will pass it in parliament on January 8-9 and thus respond to an invitation” from the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), he says.

Erdogan’s comments come after the Turkish parliament on Saturday ratified a security and military cooperation deal with the GNA of Fayez al-Sarraj.

— AFP