Turkey is poised to formalize its military support to Libya’s internationally recognized government, that would inclue dispatching a rapid reaction force to the war convulsed North African nation if need be, under the terms of an agreement that will be brought before the Turkish parliament for ratification

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed his pledge to provide the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) with backing in wake of a deal they signed Nov. 27. It covers intelligence-sharing and arms deliveries, among other things.

"We will be defending the rights of Libya and Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean," Erdogan told the pro-government AHaber news channel Dec. 15. The announcement came a day after GNA Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj met with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Defense Minister Hulusi Akar in Qatar, his government’s other top mentor.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and France are aligned with Khalifa Hifter, the Libyan general turned warlord who seeks to topple the GNA with his Libyan National Army. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi swiftly took aim at Erdogan’s comments, riposting, “We could have intervened in Libya. But we didn’t do this and respected Libya’s circumstances to preserve fraternity.”