Turkish parliament. Photo: Reuters
ANKARA,— The Turkish parliament on Thursday ratified a motion authorizing the government on sending troops to Libya.
A total of 509 lawmakers attended the ballot in the 600 seats parliament; with 325 lawmakers voting in favor of the motion, while 184 lawmakers rejecting it.
The ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) backed the motion, while the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and opposition Good (IYI) Party voted against the motion.
“Libya’s National Consensus Government made a military request from Turkey in the struggle of threats towards Libya’s unity and stability,” the motion said.
It added: “If the so-called Libya’s National Army’s attacks could not be stopped and if the clashes [in Libya] turn to a massive civil war, Turkey’s interests will be negatively affected both in Mediterranean basin and in northern Africa.”
The GNA has requested Turkish support as it fights off an offensive by General Khalifa Haftar’s forces.
In December 2019, President Tayyip Erdogan announced his government’s decision to seek a parliamentary consent to send troops to Libya to defend the Muslim Brotherhood Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli against General Khalifa Haftar forces which receives military support from Russia, Egypt and United Arab Emirates.
Haftar’s fighters have failed to reach the center of Tripoli but have made small gains in recent weeks in some southern suburbs of the capital with the help of Russian and Sudanese fighters, as well as drones shipped by the UAE, diplomats say.
Turkey is considering sending allied Syrian Islamic fighters to Libya as part of its planned military support for the embattled Muslim Brotherhood government in Tripoli, four senior Turkish sources said on December 30, 2019, with one adding that Ankara was leaning toward the idea.
Analysts and officials say Ankara is unlikely to immediately send troops, but rather military advisers and equipment.
A senior Turkish official said last week Turkey may train Libyan soldiers in Turkey, and Reuters reported that Ankara is also considering sending allied Syrian fighters to Tripoli as part of the planned military support.
On Wednesday, Vice President Fuat Oktay said the bill served a symbolic role that Ankara hoped would be a “deterrent” to the parties, and that Turkey may not send troops if Haftar’s forces halted their offensive and pulled back.
“The deployment will likely start with military advisers, increased (drones), and special operations that would work with the Libyan military,” said Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat who is chairman of the think-tank Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies.
“The hope would be that the Turkish military may not itself be involved in military action,” he said.
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