Turkish government sends Libya deployment bill to parliament

Turkey's presidency on Monday submitted a motion to the Parliament Speaker's Office on sending troops to Libya.

The Turkish government is sending to parliament on Monday a bill mandating the deployment of troops to Libya, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told reporters, accelerating a plan that was confirmed last week.

Top Turkish diplomat was speaking after meeting the opposition leaders to seek support for the legislation.

Parliament is set to debate the motion on Thursday.

The ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party and opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) announced they would back the motion, while the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), opposition Good (IYI) Party, and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) have come out against it.

President Tayyip Erdoğan said last week his government would seek the deployment mandate after the internationally-recognized government of Fayez al-Serraj in Tripoli requested support.
It follows a security and military cooperation agreement signed in late November during a visit to Turkey by the head of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), Fayez al-Sarraj.

On Nov. 27, Ankara and Libya's UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) signed a pact on military cooperation, as well as a pact on maritime boundaries in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Libya has become a theatre for proxy conflict between regional powers since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

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, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and another in Tripoli, which enjoys UN and international recognition.