ASSESSMENTS

The Regional Ambitions Impelling Turkey to Send Troops to Libya

Jan 3, 2020 | 10:30 GMT

Members of Turkey's parliament pass legislation approving a deployment of Turkish troops to Libya on Jan. 2, 2020.

Members of Turkey's parliament vote to send Turkish troops to Libya on Jan. 2. Turkey's strategy of advancing its economic and foreign policy interests via greater involvement in Libya carries a risk of mission creep.

(ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Highlights

Libya has emerged as a critical part of Turkey's regional strategy as Ankara seeks to play a larger role in the Muslim world and support Islamist groups that align with it ideologically.
Turkey's strategy is risky, since increasing its support for the Government of National Accord carries a significant risk of mission creep in Libya.
Turkey's maritime border agreement with the GNA gives it a key ally in the eastern Mediterranean's competition for oil and natural gas.

Turkey faces the risk of mission creep as it increases its involvement and investment in Libya. For the second time in four months, Turkey is planning a controversial military deployment in an Arab country now that Libya's internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) has requested air, land and sea support from Ankara to help defend Tripoli against an offensive by the Libyan National Army backed by Russian mercenaries and Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Why Turkey would even consider deploying forces to Tripoli to protect the feeble GNA might perplex some outsiders, but Ankara must protect the government in Tripoli if it wants to fulfill its regional ambitions....

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