Turkey's parliament agreed to extend the army's mission in Libya after being referred by the presidency (Reuters)

The Turkish Official Gazette published in its issue issued on Tuesday, the parliament's decision on extending the mission of Turkish forces in Libya for 24 months.

Last Thursday, the Turkish parliament approved the extension of the Turkish army's mission in Libya for an additional 24 months, starting from January 2, 2024, after the presidency referred the extension memorandum to the presidency of the parliament.

The Turkish parliament's approval followed a vote approved by a majority of its members.

According to the presidential memorandum signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, efforts initiated by Libya after the events of February 2011 to build democratic institutions have been in vain due to armed conflicts that have led to the emergence of a fragmented administrative structure in the country.

This memorandum referred to the signing of the Skhirat Agreement in Morocco, under the auspices of the United Nations, on December 17, 2015, after nearly a year of negotiations between all Libyan parties, in order to establish a ceasefire and preserve the country's territorial integrity.

She also pointed to the formation of the Government of National Accord, recognized by the United Nations, under the Libyan Political Agreement.

The memo noted that forces led by retired Major General Khalifa Haftar began on April 4, 2019, an offensive to seize the capital, Tripoli.

She added that the Government of National Accord requested support from Turkey in December 2019, as security threats in the country increased, providing a suitable environment for what it described as "terrorist organizations" and armed groups, as well as irregular migration and human trafficking.

The memorandum pointed to the deep-rooted historical, political and economic relations between the two countries, which developed further with the Memorandum of Understanding on the delimitation of maritime jurisdiction areas in the Mediterranean.

She stressed that the continuation of the ceasefire, the process of political dialogue in Libya, the establishment of peace and the guarantee of stability are of great importance to Turkey.

Source : Anadolu Agency