Turkish President Erdogan Considers Sending Troops to Libya

Dec. 12, 2019 (EIRNS)—Turkish commentator Serkan Demirtas, writing in Hurriyet Daily News, suggests that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is considering sending troops to Libya to back up the Tripoli government. The Tripoli government is the only one in the North Africa, Southwest Asia region that still has active backing from Islamic militias, which are the same groups that overthrew Libyan leader Col. Muammar Qaddafi in 2011. These militias, in turn, have support from both Turkey and Qatar.

Demirtas cites two memorandums of understanding signed between the head of the Tripoli-based, UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), Fayez Mustafa al-Sarraj, and Turkish President Erdogan earlier this month.

One of those MOUs concerns security cooperation between Turkey and the GNA, whose details have not fully been made public. Although it was approved by the Turkish Parliament, it cannot be approved by the GNA parliament, since the chairman of the parliament supports the rival Libyan National Army (LNA) based in Tobruk under the command of Gen. Khalifa Haftar, which has been receiving support from the United States, Russia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and European powers.

While Turkey says it will continue to back a peaceful solution for Libya, a statement by Erdogan suggests that Ankara is prepared to send troops to support the Tripoli government. “Of course, such an invitation [from the GNA] would give us this right” to send in troops, Erdogan stated, claiming such a deployment would not violate existing UN Security Council resolutions.

Demirtas also quotes Erdogan saying: “On the Haftar issue, I don’t want it to give birth to a new Syria in relations with Russia. I believe Russia will also review its existing stance over Haftar.” Demirtas says that with this statement, Erdogan is admitting that if Turkey deployed troops to Libya’s Tripoli, it would repeat what has happened in Syria, and that may jeopardize the existing dialogue between Ankara and Moscow.

The second of these MOUs, on the delimitation of the maritime jurisdiction areas in the Mediterranean, is seen by Greece, Egypt, and the Cyprus Republic as a provocation that threatens their Exclusive Economic Zones. The Greeks have taken the issue to the EU, which had said Turkey’s claims are illegal. Greek Parliament President Constantinos Tassoulas met in Athens today with his Libyan counterpart Aguila Saleh, who backs Haftar. The meeting was also attended by Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias.