President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has confirmed that Turkish troops have started to deploy to Libya, a move approved by Ankara’s parliament and that comes at the behest of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA). “Our soldiers’ duty there is coordination. They will develop the operation center there. Our soldiers are gradually going right now,” Erdoğan was quoted as saying late Sunday. Since last April, forces and rebel groups loyal to the internationally recognized GNA have been fending off an assault on the capital by the self-styled Libyan National Army, led by breakaway strongman Khalifa Haftar. Analysts believe the Turkish deployment risks further destabilizing Libya, which descended into chaos following the 2011 NATO-led ouster of Muammar Gaddafi. While most Western countries back the GNA, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, in particular, have thrown their weight behind Haftar. The anticipated escalation of violence comes a day after an airstrike on a military facility in Tripoli killed at least 30 people.