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Libya's Government of National Accord Officially Requests Turkey's Military Aid

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The office of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) officially requested Turkey's military aid.
Sputnik

The head of the Russian Contact Group for the intra-Libyan settlement, Lev Dengov, confirmed that GNA officially requested military aid - "air, sea, ground" support - from Turkey.

Earlier in the day, several media reported that Tripoli-based GNA had made a formal request.

"Yes, it is true. The office of GNA confirmed that it had officially asked Turkey for military aid — air, sea, ground," Dengov said.

Earlier, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan stated that Ankara is still ready to consider the possibility of sending troops to Libya if such a request is made by the Government of National Accord. 

On 21 December, the Turkish parliament ratified an agreement on military cooperation signed with Libya's Tripoli-based government.

In November, Turkey signed a memorandum on military cooperation with the Tripoli-based administration, triggering a backlash from the rival Tobruk-based government in the east. Among other things, the document provides for military support between the sides.

Libya has been split between two rival governments since 2011 when its long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed, with Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) controlling the east and the Government of National Accord controlling the country's west.

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