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Turkey’s intervention in Libya turns tide to Erdogan’s advantage, for now

Ankara has thrown in its lot with the Government of National Accord for reasons that have more to do with its own interests than Libya’s.
Anti-Gaddafi fighters fire a multiple rocket launcher near Sirte, previously one of Muammar Gaddafi's last remaining strongholds in Libya, September 24, 2011. Picture taken September 24, 2011. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic/File Photo  SEARCH "POY DECADE" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "REUTERS POY" FOR ALL BEST OF 2019 PACKAGES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY. - RC2SND9VGEDW

The consensus among Libya watchers is that Turkey’s involvement in the North African country has tipped the military balance in favor of the UN-recognized Government of National Accord headed by Prime Minister Fayez al Sarraj.

Reports that the renegade general Khalifa Hifter is on the defensive, after months of speculation regarding what some saw as his imminent grab of power over the whole of Libya, are encouraging for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on multiple levels.

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