Turkey does not want to watch the Advance of General Haftar in Libya any longer. Erdo?an now wants to send even battle tanks in the country.
allies: Sarradsch and Erdo?an photo: reuters
ISTANBUL taz | On Saturday evening, the Turkish Parliament approved a military agreement with Libya, which allowed the government to send in military advisers, trainers and all kinds of weapons to Libya. The government of President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an in support of the internationally recognized Libyan government of Prime Minister Fajis Sarradsch against the Warlord General Khalifa Haftar, who has been trying for months to conquer the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
Multiple Haftar had announced the assault on Tripoli, but was always failed at the latest in the suburbs to the with the government-allied militias. It is only since the Russian mercenaries Haftars page appeared, and Egypt, and the Arab Emirates have intensified their support-intensive, became a success in the near future.
a further Advance Haftars was Prevented already in the last months by the Turkish arms supplies to the Sarradsch-bearing. Now, Erdo?an wants to increase its support dramatically. “We can no longer stand by and watch, while the Moscow-sponsored mercenaries in support of Haftar,” he said on Saturday. Last Thursday, the Sarradsch had asked the government of Turkey and four other countries, including Italy, to support.
Ankara has so far delivered armored vehicles, drones, and armor-piercing rockets to Sarradsch; now also battle tanks are to come. In addition, Erdo?an wants to send more troops to Tripoli, the there as a consultant and trainer with the Pro-government Islamist militias to make a strong force. “We can also send its own combat troops,” he said. The Parliament would have to agree, however, separately.
unlike the invasion of Turkish troops in Northern Syria in October of this year, the Turkish Opposition does not support the “Libyan adventure,” as leader of the opposition, K?l?çdaro?lu said. “What are we doing in Libya?”, he wanted to know from Erdo?an on Saturday in the Parliament.
However, Erdo?an has different reasons to get involved in Libya. To a marked Sarradsch government is close to his government of the Islamic in Tripoli ideologically. More important, however, the balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean sea: the exploitation of Oil and gas reserves in the Mediterranean have closed in Egypt, Israel, Cyprus and Greece to form an Alliance together, which excludes the Turkey specifically.
As the price for military assistance to the Sarradsch has signed up to government at the end of November a further agreement with Turkey, in which both countries ‘ exclusive economic stake out zones in the Eastern Mediterranean, of which, in turn, Greece, Cyprus, Israel and Egypt are excluded.
Greece has protested immediately at the United Nations and is supported by the EU. Also, the German defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who visited in the last week, Cyprus, assured the Greek Cypriots Express support.
But this bothers Erdo?an little. Decisive for him is that Russia – as in Syria – is back on the against side and General Haftar supports. Last week, a Turkish Delegation in Moscow was already looking with Putin after a joint solution in Libya – so far without success, otherwise, Erdo?an would not have complained to the public use of Russian mercenaries in Libya.
But the talks between Moscow and Ankara continue to run On 8. January comes Putin to Ankara, a Turkish-Russian Oil Pipeline, which runs through the Black sea, to inaugurate.
Meanwhile, escalated the conflict on the ground. On Sunday, troops of General Haftar have stopped off the coast of Libya with a cargo ship and towed the fleet under the flag of Grenada, but a Turkish crew, and possibly weapons for Tripoli to be transported – all the more reason for Erdo?an to step up its military commitment.
