ANKARA, Turkey _ President Recep Tayyip Erdogan indicated that he's getting ready to deploy Turkish troops in Libya to support the country's internationally recognized government in Tripoli.
Erdogan flew to Tunisia on Wednesday in a surprise visit that's likely to include meetings with members of the government of neighboring Libya.
The Turkish president said his recent dealings with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj's Government of National Accord should be seen as "harbinger of steps that we may take." Turkey has already held talks with Libyans about a possible troop deployment to support the GNA in its fight against Khalifa Haftar, a rebel commander who has no political legitimacy, Erdogan said.
"If there is an invitation, we would of course evaluate it," Erdogan said in a televised press conference jointly held with Tunisia's new president, Kais Saied. Erdogan said mercenaries fighting in Libya include 5,000 men from Sudan and another 2,000 from Wagner, a group headed by a confidante of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Erdogan's comments mark his increasing support for the government in Tripoli in the face of an offensive by Haftar to capture the Libyan capital.
Turkey's governing AK Party has begun working on a motion to allow deployment of troops in Libya should Sarraj's government ask for reinforcement, and is expected to present it to parliament in early January, according to state-run TRT television.
The Government of National Accord said Erdogan's delegation, which includes foreign and defense ministers and the intelligence chief, may meet with GNA officials in Tunis.
Last month, Turkey signed a contentious maritime agreement with Sarraj's government that affirms Turkish claims to areas where a planned pipeline to bring Israeli and Cypriot natural gas to Europe may cross.
Turkey has controlled northern Cyprus since sending troops there in 1974 after a failed attempt to unite the island with Greece, and wants a share of Cyprus's gas revenue. The pact with Libya angered Greece, and it plans next week to sign an agreement with Cyprus and Israel to build the pipeline, as it confronts Turkey over maritime rights.
