Erdoğan says Turkey will increase military support to Libya if necessary

Turkey will increase its military support to the internationally recognised government of Libya if necessary and it will evaluate ground, air and marine options, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sunday.

Turkey backs the government of Fayez al-Serraj in Libya, which has been split into rival political and military factions since 2011. Ankara has said it could send troops to Libya if the Serraj government makes such a request. The two countries also signed a maritime boundaries deal.

Speaking at an event in the northern province of Kocaeli, Erdoğan said Turkey will "absolutely" not turn back from the two agreements it signed with Libya.

"Nobody should come to us with attempts to exclude us, trap us in our own shores or steal our economic interests," Erdoğan said. "We have no intention of starting conflicts with anyone for no reason, or robbing anyone of their rights," he said.

"Those who oppose us have no sense of rights, law, justice, ethics or mercy," Erdoğan said, referring to Greece, Israel and Egypt, who have opposed the maritime accord.

During the launching ceremony of Turkey's first domestically-produced submarine, Piri Reis, in northwestern Gölcük district, Erdoğan said the country's determination has obstructed Greece's efforts to prevent sea access.

"Greece and its partner countries have been trying to block Turkey's sea access from all directions, but Turkey will continue to maintain access to the Eastern Mediterranean through initiatives such as the Maritime Accord with Libya and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)," Erdoğan said.
A total of six new submarines, one every year, will go into service in the Turkish Naval Forces between 2022 and 2027, Erdoğan said.
Erdoğan said that each of the submarines were named after "truly monumental personalities".

The Turkish parliament on Saturday ratified a motion on the approval of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on security and military cooperation with Libya.

On Nov. 27, Ankara and Tripoli signed two separate MoUs; one on military cooperation and the other on maritime boundaries of countries in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Since the ouster of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: one in eastern Libya supported mainly by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and another in Tripoli, which enjoys UN and international recognition.