CBN – Turkish forces are deploying to the north African nation of Libya. Turkey’s parliament authorized the deployment of troops to Libya last week, following a separate deal on sending military experts and weapons signed into law in December. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a televised interview that Turkish soldiers were “already going gradually” to Libya. Erdogan says he’s sending troops and military advisers to support the United Nations-backed government in Tripoli.

“Our soldiers’ duty there (in Libya) is coordination for sharing technical knowledge and experience in the point of training programs between all our security establishments,” he said. “They are right now doing that coordination. There will be a command center and one of our lieutenant generals at this command center. They will run that process there.”

The US Embassy in Libya is criticizing Turkey for the move, calling Turkish-backed Syrian fighters part of a “toxic foreign interference” in the country. The government is fending off attacks by Libyan opposition forces backed by Russia, Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan. As CBN News has reported, Turkey signed a deal with Libya’s internationally recognized government on Nov. 27 over who controls the Mediterranean. READ MORE


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