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Turkish parliament passes Libya deployment bill

News Service
09:09 - 3/01/2020 Friday
Update: 09:12 - 3/01/2020 Friday
REUTERS
Turkish lawmakers vote a bill that allows troop deployment to Libya, at the Parliament in Ankara, Turkey, January 2, 2020. REUTERS/
Turkish lawmakers vote a bill that allows troop deployment to Libya, at the Parliament in Ankara, Turkey, January 2, 2020. REUTERS/

Last week, a senior Turkish official said Ankara could train Libyan soldiers in Turkey, and Reuters reported that Turkey may also consider sending allied Syrian fighters to Tripoli.

On Wednesday, Vice President Fuat Oktay said the bill served a symbolic role that Ankara hoped would be a "deterrent" to the parties, and that Turkey may not send troops if Haftar's forces pulled back.

The maritime agreement between Ankara and Tripoli has ended Turkey's isolation in the eastern Mediterranean, where it is at odds with Greece over resources off Cyprus. Greece has said the accord violates international law, but Ankara rejects this, and says it only wants to protect its rights.

Greece, Cyprus and Israel signed a deal on Thursday to build a 1,900 km (1,180 mile) subsea pipeline to carry natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe, but analysts say the accord between Turkey and Libya could present a barrier to the plans.

"Ankara sees its involvement in Libya as a symbol of its new status as a regional power," said Asli Aydintasbas, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

#Libya
#Turkey
#parliament
4 years ago