Türkiye extends mandate for troop deployment in Libya
ANKARA
Türkiye’s parliament on June 21 extended for another 18 months a mandate that allows the deployment of Turkish troops to Libya.
The mandate was renewed with the votes of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling party and its nationalist allies which hold a majority in parliament. An opposition party also voted in favor of the extension.
The mandate first came into force in January 2020 following a security and military agreement that Türkiye reached with Libya’s U.N.-backed administration in Tripoli, western Libya. It was then extended by 18 months in December 2020.
Erdoğan requested the latest extension citing the ongoing “political uncertainty” in Libya and “risks and threats” that could threaten Türkiye’s interests in the Mediterranean and North Africa. The request said Turkish troops were continuing to provide military training and consultancy in the country.
Türkiye’s support for the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord helped turn the tide of war in Libya. Turkish military assistance _ including advisors, equipment and intelligence _ helped block a year-long military attempt to capture Tripoli by forces loyal to Khalifa Hifter, a Libyan commander who ruled the eastern half of the country.
Libya descended into chaos following the 2011 uprising that ousted and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
