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Turkey is beginning to send troops into Libya in support of the internationally recognised government in Tripoli, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, days before a summit in Berlin which will address the Libyan conflict.
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Last week, Turkey and Russia urged Libyas warring parties to declare a ceasefire. However, despite talks in Moscow aimed at halting Khalifa Haftars months-long campaign to seize the Libyan capital, the two sides were unable to reach an agreement when Haftar failed to sign a binding truce on Monday.
Turkey, which backs Fayez al-Serrajs Government of National Accord (GNA), has previously said that it sent a training and cooperation team which is now active in Libya.
On Thursday, Erdogan said Turkey was starting the deployment of its troops to Libya and that it would use all its diplomatic and military means to ensure stability to its south.
“In order for the legitimate government in Libya to remain standing and for stability to be established, we are now sending our soldiers to this country,” Erdogan told an event in Ankara.
Erdogan warned on Tuesday that Turkey will not refrain from “teaching a lesson” to Haftars eastern Libyan forces if their attacks against the GNA continue. The talks in Moscow were the latest attempt to stabilise Libya, which has been beset by turmoil since Muammer Gaddafi was toppled in 2011.
On Sunday, Germany will host a summit on Libya involving the rival camps, their main foreign backers and representatives from the United Nations, the United States, Russia, Britain, France, China, Turkey and ItalyRead More – Source
