The roots of Turkey’s foray into Libya

Government forces carry weapons in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, in October.  Ismail Zetouni/Reuters

The roots of Turkey’s foray into Libya

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey received overwhelming approval from Parliament on Thursday to dispatch troops to Libya, where an independent monitoring organization says Turkey has already sent Syrian proxy fighters. It’s an effort to prop up a U.N.-backed government that is under siege from rival proxy forces supported by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
The Libyan campaign highlights Mr. Erdogan’s desire to increase Turkish claims to power and natural resources in the eastern Mediterranean. And, partly because Libya is a former Ottoman territory, it’s a way for him stoke nationalism at home amid flagging support — and speculation that he may call a snap election this fall.
Response: Turkey’s newly aggressive foreign policy has unnerved Greece and the European Union — which has punished Turkey with sanctions for its exploratory drilling in Cypriot waters — as well as the United States, which stores about 50 tactical nuclear weapons at a Turkish air base that Mr. Erdogan has threatened to close. President Trump warned Turkey on Thursday against “foreign interference” in Libya.

Looking ahead: Turkey’s Libya campaign may start a new conflict with Russia, which has partnered with Turkey in Syria and has recently sold it an advanced antiaircraft missile system.

nytimes