Turkiye Presidency submits motion to Parliament on extending troop deployment in Libya

Turkiye’s Presidency, on Monday, submitted a motion to Parliament on extending troop deployment in Libya for another 18 months, Anadolu News Agency reports.

The motion was submitted in light of a request for military assistance by Libya’s UN-recognised government.

“The risks and threats emanating from Libya for the entire region, including Turkiye, continue. If the attacks against the legitimate government resume, Turkiye’s interests, both in the Mediterranean basin and in North Africa, will be adversely affected,” the motion said.

“It is important to prevent the resumption of conflicts to ensure the conclusion of the military and political talks conducted under the auspices of the UN,” it added.

Turkiye’s Parliament first passed a motion allowing the deployment of troops in Libya for one year in January 2020. Later, it extended the deployment for another 18 months, until July 2022.

READ: Libya army hails Turkiye’s role in training its personnel

On 27 November, 2019, Ankara and Tripoli signed a pact on military cooperation, as well as an agreement on maritime boundaries in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Libya, an oil-rich country, has remained beset by turmoil since 2011, when long time ruler, Muammar Gaddafi, was ousted and killed in a NATO-backed uprising after four decades in power.

The country has since seen the emergence of two rival seats of power: one in eastern Libya, to which military commander, Khalifa Haftar, is affiliated, and the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), which enjoys UN recognition.