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Turkish parliament readying bill to allow sending troops to Libya

Turkish parliament readying bill to allow sending troops to Libya
Turkey may need to draft a bill to allow for troop deployment to Libya and its parliament is working on the issue. (File/AFP)
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Updated 24 December 2019

Turkish parliament readying bill to allow sending troops to Libya

Turkish parliament readying bill to allow sending troops to Libya

ANKARA: Turkey may need to draft a bill to allow for troop deployment to Libya and its parliament is working on the issue, Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Tuesday, after Ankara signed a military cooperation agreement with Tripoli last month.
“There might be a need for an authorization in line with the developments over there. The parliament is conducting work on this issue,” Kalin told a news conference in Ankara.
“We will continue to support the internationally recognized Libyan government. This support may be in terms of military training, or other areas, such as political support,” Kalin said.
Speaking in Ankara after a cabinet meeting, Kalin added that Turkey would continue to provide the necessary support to Fayez Al-Serraj’s Tripoli-based government. Turkey has already sent military supplies to the Serraj’s government despite a United Nations arms embargo, according to a report by UN experts seen by Reuters last month.
Ankara says Fayez Al-Serraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA) has not yet asked Turkey to deploy troops to Libya. However, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkey would increase its military support to Libya if necessary and would evaluate ground, air and marine options.
Last week, Russia said it was very concerned about Turkey’s potential troop deployment in Libya, adding that the military accord between the two countries raised questions. A Turkish delegation traveled to Moscow on Monday to discuss developments in Libya and Syria.