Turkey’s parliament on Thursday approved a bill to send troops to Libya in support of Fayez al-Serraj’s internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), reported Reuters. Although the bill was opposed by all major opposition parties, it passed with a 315-184 vote. The size and nature of the military deployment currently remain unclear.
Last month, the GNA had requested support from President Tayyip Erdogan following a dangerous escalation in the conflict by General Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army. Haftar’s forces, backed by Russia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jordan, have been fighting with the GNA since April last year to capture Tripoli.
Turkey’s move comes after Ankara and the GNA signed two separate agreements- one on security and military cooperation and another on maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean- in November. The deal infuriated Greece, Israel, Egypt, and Cyprus.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned Turkey’s parliament vote to allow a troop deployment to Libya in a statement. It said that any such deployment could negatively affect the stability of the Mediterranean region. The ministry also called on the international community to respond to the move.
Greece, Israel, and Cyprus also condemned Turkey’s move in a joint statement released late on Thursday. The statement said Turkey’s bill allowing troop deployment in Libya marks a dangerous escalation in the North African country’s civil war and severely threatens stability in the region.
“This decision constitutes a gross violation of the UNSC resolution…imposing an arms embargo in Libya and seriously undermines the international community’s efforts to find a peaceful, political solution to the Libyan conflict,” Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in the statement.
After the voting on Thursday, President Erdogan discussed Libya with U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call, the Turkish presidency confirmed without providing more details. Erdogan is also due to discuss Libya with Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month.
