Turkey's defence minister comments on deploying troops to Libya
Since the ousting and death of ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya.
FILE IMAGE: Turkish Armed Forces and artillery could be deployed to Libya to help the UN-backed govt defeat warlord Khalifa Haftar.
Turkish Defence Minister Hukusi Akar on Sunday said, “Our army is ready to protect Turkey's rights and interests whether at home or abroad.”
He was commenting on the possibility of Turkey sending troops to Libya under a new security pact requested by the country’s Government of National Accord (GNA).
Since the ousting and death of ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: one in eastern Libya supported mainly by France, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and the GNA in Tripoli, which enjoys UN and international recognition.
On Nov. 27, Ankara and Libya's GNA signed two separate pacts, one on military cooperation and the other on maritime boundaries of countries in the Eastern Mediterranean.
On April 4, warlord Khalifa Haftar, who commands forces based in eastern Libya, launched an offensive to capture the capital Tripoli from GNA forces.
According to the UN, over a thousand people have been killed since the start of the operation and more than 5,000 injured.
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