Turkey willing to deploy troops in support of Tripoli government

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated his country’s willingness to deploy troops to support Libya’s internationally recognized government, the GNA, based in Tripoli.

Erdogan made the remarks during an unexpected visit to Tunisia, confirming earlier statements on the possibility of sending Turkish soldiers to back Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj’s government against rebel commander Khalifa Haftar.

“If there is an invitation, we would of course evaluate it,” Erdogan said in a televised press conference with Tunisia’s new president, Kais Saied.

Erdogan slammed Haftar’s so far failed attempt to take the capital Tripoli as “devoid of political legitimacy”.

Haftar already controls most of Libya’s oil facilities, as well as swaths of territory in the country’s east and south. The deployment of Russian mercenaries since September has further complicated international efforts to end the fighting.

Citing the presence of 5,000 Sudanese and 2,000 Russian soldiers in Libya, Erdogan asked what they are doing there.

Libya has been wracked by violence ever since the NATO-backed ouster of Moammar Qaddafi in 2011, with the instability turning it into a bastion for Islamist radicals and a magnet for migrants hoping to reach Europe.

Turkey’s parliament last week approved a pact to defend Sarraj’s administration. The governing AK Party has begun working on a motion to allow deployment of troops in Libya should Sarraj’s government ask for reinforcement.

Turkey has already sent military supplies to the GNA despite a UN arms embargo, according to a recent UN report.

Last month, Turkey signed a maritime delimitation agreement with the GNA, a move that enraged Greece. Athens says the deal violates international law, but Ankara says it aims to protect its rights in the region and is in full compliance with maritime laws.