Turkish Parliament to Approve Security Accord with Libya

Turkish lawmakers are set to sign off on a bilateral military and security agreement with the internationally recognized government of Libya. The agreement includes a provision to send a “quick reaction force” if requested by Tripoli. It is not clear when the Turkish parliament will vote on the agreement, which follows the signing last month of a Turkish-Libyan maritime-boundaries memorandum. Greece expelled the Libyan ambassador to protest that accord, which, it said, violated international law. The accord has been sent to the United Nations for approval. On Thursday, Gen. Khalifa Haftar, commander of the eastern-based Libyan National Army, said his war against Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj’s Government of National Accord was entering its “final battle” and that his forces would soon capture Tripoli. On Saturday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, meeting with Sarraj in Doha to discuss cooperation, said Libya had “not yet” requested the deployment of Turkish troops to defend Sarraj’s rule.