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Turkey to Send Troops to Libya at Tripoli's Request, Erdogan Says
(Reuters) Ece Toksabay - Turkey will send troops to Libya at the request of Tripoli as soon as next month, President Erdogan said on Thursday. Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli has been struggling to fend off Gen. Khalifa Haftar's forces, which have been supported by Russia, Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan. Erdogan said 2,000 mercenaries from the Kremlin-linked Wagner group were supporting Haftar, together with 5,000 fighters from Sudan. Haftar's forces, which are based in eastern Libya, have made small gains in recent weeks in some southern suburbs of Tripoli with the help of Russian and Sudanese fighters, as well as drones from the UAE, diplomats say. The Chinese-made drones have given Haftar "local air superiority" as they can carry over eight times the explosives of the drones given to the GNA by Turkey and can also cover the whole of Libya.