MESOPOTAMIA NEWS : ERDOGAN’S NEW FRONT  – Turkey will send troops to Libya, Erdogan says

ANKARA,— MESOP / afp – REUTERS  – President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Turkey will send troops to Libya now that Tripoli has requested it, and he will present legislation to parliament in January for deployment to the north African country.

Ankara signed two separate accords a month ago with Libya’s Muslim Brotherhood Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Serraj, one on security and military cooperation and another on maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean.

Serraj’s Government of GNA has been fending off a months-long offensive by Khalifa Haftar’s forces in eastern Libya, which have received support from Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

“Since there is an invitation (from Libya) right now, we will accept it,” Erdogan told members of his AK Party in a speech. “We will put the bill on sending troops to Libya on the agenda as soon as parliament opens.”

The legislation would pass around Jan. 8-9, he added.

On Wednesday, Erdogan visited Tunisia to discuss cooperation for a possible ceasefire in neighboring Libya. On Thursday, he said Turkey and Tunisia agreed to support the GNA.

Moscow has voiced concerns over a possible Turkish military deployment to Libya in support of the GNA, while Erdogan said last week Turkey will not stay silent over Russian-backed mercenaries supporting Haftar.

Libyan interior minister says will ask for Turkish support if Tripoli war escalates

Libya’s GNA government will officially request military support from Turkey if the war over the capital escalates, the Tripoli-based interior minister said on Thursday.

Eastern forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar have been trying to take Tripoli since April. Earlier on Thursday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara would send troops to Libya as soon as next month as it had received a request from Tripoli. “If the situation escalates then we have the right to defend Tripoli and its residents,” Fathi Bashagha told reporters in Tunis.

More via www.mesop.de