The planned arrival of Turkish military advisers in Libya should bolster the int...
CAIRO - The planned arrival of Turkish military advisers in Libya should bolster the internationally recognized government, but may not be enough to turn the tide of a conflict in which eastern-based forces have the upper hand thanks to foreign support.
Turkey has already provided drones and armored vehicles for the defense of the capital, Tripoli, which helped quickly stall the offensive launched by Haftar’s forces nine months ago. On Monday, the LNA advanced into Sirte, a strategic city in the center of Libya’s Mediterranean coastline, and fighting has increased around Tripoli in recent weeks.
Turkish officials have indicated that any deployment will not involve troops but that Turkey has been considering sending Syrian rebels. A source in the Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army said some fighters had already signed up as guards. Ankara and Moscow want to protect their strategic interests in Libya, where they lost lucrative contracts in 2011 after a NATO-backed uprising, and in the wider east Mediterranean region. [L8N28R455]
A senior Turkish official told Reuters: “Turkey is in close contact with Russia to prevent conflict. This will continue.”
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