Turkish Presidency urges parliament to extend the mission of forces in Libya… Why?

The Turkish Presidency has sent a memorandum to the Parliament on Friday, seeking approval to extend the mission of Turkish forces in Libya for an additional two years. This extension will come into effect if approved by the Turkish Parliament by January 2nd next year and will conclude in January 2026.

Local Libyan television “Libya Alahrar” reported that “the Turkish Presidency clarified that the goal of sending Turkish troops is to protect national interests within the framework of international law and to take all necessary precautions against security risks emanating from illegal armed groups in Libya.” The Turkish Presidency also explained that “the goal of these forces is also to maintain security against other potential risks, such as mass migrations, provide humanitarian aid needed by the Libyan people, and offer the necessary support to the legitimate government in Libya,” according to the Turkish Anadolu Agency.

Turkey officially deployed its forces to Libya in 2020 after signing a memorandum of understanding in this regard between the former Prime Minister of the Government of National Accord, Fayez al-Sarraj, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This move was rejected by the Libyan National Army led by Marshal Khalifa Haftar and the Libyan Parliament.

In a related context, the President of the Libyan Parliament, Aguila Saleh, said on Friday that he would meet Erdogan before the end of this year, emphasizing that he strongly opposes “the establishment of foreign military bases in Libya”. 

The Turkish Parliament had approved on January 2, 2020, a bill allowing the dispatch of troops to Libya after Ankara signed in November 2019 two memoranda of understanding with the Government of National Accord, one related to security and military cooperation, and the other to maritime borders. These agreements were rejected by the Libyan Parliament based in Tobruk at the time, considering them “contrary to the constitutional declaration and the political agreement.