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| Trump and Erdogan |
President Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed several “bilateral and regional issues,” according to a readout of the call released by the White House, as well as simmering tensions and ongoing instability in Libya that have been condemned by the top United Nations official there.
Turkey’s parliament passed a bill on Thursday approving a military deployment to Libya, aimed at shoring up the UN-backed government in Tripoli. The beleaguered Tripoli government has been under sustained attack since April by military strongman General Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by Turkey’s regional rivals Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
The bill passed easily through Turkey’s parliament, by 325 votes to 184.
Erdogan’s office confirmed last Friday that a request for military support had been received from the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA).
As regard the parliament's military approval, no details have been given on the scale of the potential deployment, and Vice President Fuat Oktay told state news agency Anadolu on Wednesday that no date had yet been set. “We are ready. Our armed forces and our defense ministry are ready,” he said, adding that parliamentary approval would be valid for a year.
He described the parliament motion as a “political signal” aimed at deterring Haftar’s army. “After it passes, if the other side changes its attitude and says, ‘OK, we are withdrawing, we are abandoning our offensive,’ then what should we go there for?”
A UN report in November said several countries were violating the arms embargo on Libya in place since the overthrow of its long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Jordan and the UAE regularly supply Haftar’s forces, it said, while Turkey supports the GNA. Turkish and Emirati drones were spotted in Libyan skies during clashes over the summer.
Erdogan’s office confirmed last Friday that a request for military support had been received from the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA).
As regard the parliament's military approval, no details have been given on the scale of the potential deployment, and Vice President Fuat Oktay told state news agency Anadolu on Wednesday that no date had yet been set. “We are ready. Our armed forces and our defense ministry are ready,” he said, adding that parliamentary approval would be valid for a year.
He described the parliament motion as a “political signal” aimed at deterring Haftar’s army. “After it passes, if the other side changes its attitude and says, ‘OK, we are withdrawing, we are abandoning our offensive,’ then what should we go there for?”
A UN report in November said several countries were violating the arms embargo on Libya in place since the overthrow of its long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Jordan and the UAE regularly supply Haftar’s forces, it said, while Turkey supports the GNA. Turkish and Emirati drones were spotted in Libyan skies during clashes over the summer.
Trump said the situations in Libya where a rival regime in the nation's east has attempted a coup to oust the Tripoli-based government of Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, "foreign interference is complicating the situation,” according to the White House read out..
The offensive has split the international community: The rival regime led by commander Gen. Khalifa Haftar has been backed the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, France and Russia, according to The Associated Press, while Sarraj’s government receives aid from Turkey, Qatar and Italy.
Erdogan and Sarraj recently signed a deal allowing Ankara to send military experts and personnel to the volatile region, the AP reported, and some in Turkey have argued that threats to the Libyan government could "spread instability to Turkey."
Erdogan and Trump also discussed ongoing violence in Syria’s Idlib province along the Turkish border, where Syrian leader Bashar Assad’s forces have sought to retake one of the last rebel strongholds in the country. The weekslong offensive has sent hundreds of thousands of civilians fleeing north toward Turkey, prompting Trump to issue a vague warning to Assad via Twitter last week.
“The leaders agreed on the need for de-escalation in Idlib, Syria, in order to protect civilians,” the White House readout of Trump and Erdogan's call said.
With the Russia connection, Libyan conflict is expected to be a key topic of discussion when Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Turkey next Wednesday.The offensive has split the international community: The rival regime led by commander Gen. Khalifa Haftar has been backed the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, France and Russia, according to The Associated Press, while Sarraj’s government receives aid from Turkey, Qatar and Italy.
Erdogan and Sarraj recently signed a deal allowing Ankara to send military experts and personnel to the volatile region, the AP reported, and some in Turkey have argued that threats to the Libyan government could "spread instability to Turkey."
Erdogan and Trump also discussed ongoing violence in Syria’s Idlib province along the Turkish border, where Syrian leader Bashar Assad’s forces have sought to retake one of the last rebel strongholds in the country. The weekslong offensive has sent hundreds of thousands of civilians fleeing north toward Turkey, prompting Trump to issue a vague warning to Assad via Twitter last week.
“The leaders agreed on the need for de-escalation in Idlib, Syria, in order to protect civilians,” the White House readout of Trump and Erdogan's call said.
Turkish President has repeatedly accused Russia of sending private mercenaries to support Haftar’s forces, though this has been denied by Moscow.
However, Turkey and Russia have managed to work closely on Syria despite supporting opposing sides in that conflict and are expected to seek a similar balancing act with regards to Libya.
“We’re supporting the internationally recognized legitimate government in Libya. Outside powers must stop supporting illegitimate groups against the Libyan government,” Erdogan’s communications director Fahrettin Altun tweeted last week.
We’re supporting the internationally recognized legitimate government in Libya. Outside powers must stop supporting illegitimate groups against the Libyan government.
— Fahrettin Altun (@fahrettinaltun) December 27, 2019
Turkey has used its alliance with the Tripoli government to advance other interests.
It signed a military cooperation agreement with the GNA during a visit by its leader, Fayez al-Sarraj, to Istanbul in November.
But they also signed a maritime jurisdiction agreement giving Turkey rights to large swathes of the Mediterranean where gas reserves have recently been discovered.
The agreement drew international criticism, particularly from Greece which says it ignores its own claims to the area.
Analysts say Ankara was responding to being frozen out of regional energy deals, notably the “East Mediterranean Gas Forum,” formed this year by Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Italy and the Palestinian territories.
Turkey’s fierce rivalry with the military government in Egypt is seen as another motivating factor behind the planned deployment.
Erdogan strongly backed Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood government that was violently overthrown by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in 2013.
Haftar has previously ordered his forces to target Turkish companies and arrest Turkish nationals. Six Turkish sailors were briefly held by his forces over the summer.
Sources: TIO / Politico
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