Turkey to Officially Send Troops to Libya: Erdogan

Turkey will officially deploy their armed forces to Libya in order to assist the U.N.-recognized Government of National Accord as they clash with the rival Libyan National Army in the northern part of the country, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Thursday. 

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The Turkish Armed Forces will join the 35 military advisers that Ankara sent to Libya to assist the Government of National Accord at the capital city of Tripoli. 

Erdogan, who has been an ardent ally of the Government of National Accord, recently threatened to "teach a lesson" to the commander of the Libyan National Army, Khalifa Haftar, after his forces captured the port-city of Sirte and some neighborhoods inside of Tripoli.

During a speech to the Annual Evaluation Meeting for 2019 at the Bestepe National Congress and Culture Centre in Ankara Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the country will be sending troops to Libya under an agreement with the Government of National Accord. Erdogan added that Turkey will use both military and diplomatic means to ensure "stability" in Libya.

The president also noted that Ankara will start search and drill activities for gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean in 2020 in line with the accord reached with the GNA and that the vessel Oruc Reis has already started seismic studies.

"After signing a maritime and security deal with Libya, it's not legally possible to carry out exploration and drilling activities [for gas] or to lay a pipeline without the approval of both countries", Erdogan said.

The Government of National Accord already received a major boost to their manpower when several hundred fighters from the Free Syrian Army deployed to Libya to assist in the defense of Tripoli.