Turkey again extends mandate for troop deployment in Libya

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s parliament has extended a mandate that allows the deployment of Turkish troops to Libya. The mandate was renewed for another 18 months on Tuesday. The authorization first came into force in January 2020 following a security and military agreement that Turkey reached with Libya’s U.N.-backed administration in Tripoli, in western Libya. It was then extended by 18 months in December 2020. Erdogan requested the latest extension citing the ongoing “political uncertainty” in Libya and “risks and threats” that could threaten Turkey’s interests in the Mediterranean and North Africa. The request said Turkish troops were continuing to provide military training and consultancy in the country.