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Turkey accepts invitation to deploy troops to Libya, Erdogan says

The Turkish Parliament will vote on sending soldiers to the north African country to support its internationally recognized government, but the deployment could entrench Turkey in Libya’s long-running internal strife as well as intensify regional tensions.
Libyan Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha speaks during a news conference in Tunis, Tunisia December 26, 2019. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi - RC213E9W3MMS

ISTANBUL — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday he would send soldiers to Libya following an invitation from its internationally recognized government, escalating Turkey’s military commitment to the war-torn country and risking further discord with regional rivals.

Turkey agreed in November with Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA), which was established in 2016 under a United Nations-brokered deal, to a defense arrangement that includes sharing intelligence and shipping arms.

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