Turkish Parliament Passes Motion on Military Deployment to Libya

[Dante80]

Parliament Passes Motion on Military Deployment to Libya

İstanbul - BIA News Desk - 02 January 2020

* Photo: Mehmet Ali Özcan / Anadolu Agency

Chaired by Parliamentary Speaker Mustafa Şentop, the General Assembly of the Parliament convened today (January 2) in an emergency meeting to debate the motion foreseeing military deployment to Libya.
Accordingly, the representatives of political parties expressed their opinions about the motion in 20 minutes each.
Following the statements of the party representatives, the MPs have voted the motion. Accordingly, the motion authorizing the government to send soldiers to Libya has been approved by the General Assembly of the Parliament by a vote of 325 against 184.

HDP's Hatimoğulları: Turkey has broken the embargo

Speaking on behalf of the HDP group, Tülay Hatimoğulları said, "We say a very clear 'No' to this motion. Because this motion means that the failure of the government in foreign affair and its precious loneliness have been confirmed once again. It is the epitome of expansionist politics. It is also called occupation in international literature.
"There has long been an arms embargo of the UN Security Council against both sides in Libya. Who broke this embargo for the first time? Turkey. We know that Turkey has been providing the pro-ikhwan Trablus government with all types of support for years. Deployment of Turkey's poor children will pave the way for their bloodshed in those deserts."

İYİ Party: Our soldiers made a party to a civil war

Speaking on behalf of the İYİ Party, İzmir MP Aytun Çıray also said, "Our soldiers might be pulled into an internal conflict, like the one in Vietnam. We cannot leave our soldiers in the ambivalent firing line of a civil war that has nothing to do with our national security.
"Our soldiers are made a party to a civil war. Why don't Libya's neighboring countries Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt facing national security threat send soldiers?"

MHP: Gains will be protected

Speaking on behalf of the MHP, Group Deputy Chair Erkan Akçay briefly said, "With this motion, we are protecting our blue homeland in the Mediterranean, preventing the usurpation of our rights and contributing to the stability of sister country Libya and regional peace. The reality achieved on the table will be reinforced in the field with this motion.
"With the approval of the motion, the critical gains achieved by the memorandum of understanding with Libya will be protected; relations with Libya, which has a critical importance for Turkey, will be improved; our activity will increase in Libya and Africa, where several actors, including the EU, are trying to be active; Turkey will have the upper hand on the countries undertaking activities against Turkey due to its existence and policies in East Mediterranean and Syria; and the struggle will take a new turn. [Turkey] will have the opportunity to be stationed in a central position in the Mediterranean and can have more initiative in pursuing a policy of surrounding against Greece."

CHP, HDP, İYİ Party and TİP against the motion
With its 290 and 49 MPs respectively, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and allying Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) support the motion. Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) and İYİ Party announced that they would vote against it.
The Felicity Party (SP), which has two MPs in the Parliament, also released a statement about the motion and briefly said:
"If the process is properly set up, the existence of our soldiers there will be, in itself, able to prevent several wrong steps. Turkey should open the ways of diplomacy to the end and should indicate it as its main objective to build a common future for Libya, from the east to the west."
SP İstanbul MP Cihangir İslam tweeted, "I have decided to not attend today's Parliamentary session where the deployment of soldiers to Libya will be discussed. I will not enter the session and will not vote."

About the Libya motion
On November 27, Ankara and Libya's United Nations (UN)-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) signed a pact on military cooperation, as well as a pact on maritime boundaries in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Since the ouster of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: one in eastern Libya supported mainly by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and another in Tripoli, which enjoys UN and international recognition.
Accordingly, last week, President AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that the motion would be submitted to the Parliament in the light of a request by Libya's UN-recognized government for military assistance.
"The project to exclude Turkey from the Mediterranean has been foiled with the latest steps we have taken," Erdoğan said in his New Year's address to the nation.
"With support to the legitimate Tripoli government, Turkey will ensure implementation of all elements of agreements with Libya," Erdoğan added.
Turkey's presidency on Monday submitted a motion to the Parliament Speaker's Office on sending troops to Libya. The parliament is set to debate the motion on January 2.

Source :. http://bianet.org/english/politics/218001-parliament-passes-motion-on-military-deployment-to-libya
Read in Turkish :. http://bianet.org/bianet/toplum/217993-libya-tezkeresi-meclis-te

 

[Dante80]

It's on.

 

[dBSPL]

Authorized areas of the TAF within the scope of the Motion:

• Establishing a Sudden response task force, if necessery
• Establishing Office for Defense and Security cooperation, if requested
• Training and exercises of military forces, according to Libya's request
• Academic and training activities of the Libyan police department (Ministry of Internal Affairs)
• Cooperation in infrastructure and social services (Ministry of Internal Affairs , TIKA, etc.)
• Active Fight against terrorism and Intelligence Sharing ( MIB , Ministry of Internal Affairs, TAF )

 

[Indos]

The move will be appreciated through out Muslim world.

 

[Glass]

Good.

 

[dBSPL]

The move will be appreciated through out Muslim world.

The above link was quoted from a pro-HDP news organization and presented in a very intensely manipulated way of official views of parties. The only problem here is not the common interests of Turkey and Libya on the Mediterranean. At the same time,while a rogue structure tries to strangle legitimate government, it contains legitimate government's seeks help.

 

[Dante80]

The above link was quoted from a pro-HDP news organization and presented in a very intensely manipulated way of official views of parties.

This is interesting. My understanding is that the article (at least in the english version that I can read) contains no "color" whatsoever, but just lists verbatim what the different party leaders said today in the parliamentary session. Given the fact that each leader commented for an allotted time of about 20m, it is possible that the article listed certain parts of each speech in a way to form a guided, non-objective narrative. Is that the case here, and if yes, what was omitted?

 

[cabatli_53]

Algeria and Tunisia should take on responsibility with opening their air bases to Turkish aircrafts. Wishing the best for legitimate side is the easiest thing to do while sitting safe seats. They will knock the doors of those states after Libya and It is certain that Without active aerial coverage, Our troops will face some difficulties when they need aerial support.

 

[Indos]

The above link was quoted from a pro-HDP news organization and presented in a very intensely manipulated way of official views of parties. The only problem here is not the common interests of Turkey and Libya on the Mediterranean. At the same time,while a rogue structure tries to strangle legitimate government, it contains legitimate government's seeks help.

Can you give some insight of why majority of Turkish parliament approve the motion to bring troops there ? Is it the power of AKP lead coalition parties (325 seats) ? What nationalist Parties who back AKP lead coalition ?

 

[Mustafa27]

HDP, such a hypocrites " Deployment of Turkey's poor children will pave the way for their bloodshed in those deserts."

Can you give some insight of why majority of Turkish parliament approve the motion to bring troops there ? Is it the power of AKP lead coalition parties (325 seats) ? What nationalist Parties who back AKP lead coalition ?

AKP has 290 seats
and the MHP(the nationalist party) have 49 seats.
So all together they have 339 seats, so its easy to pass.

 

[xenon54 out]

Military presence of TSK.

HDP, such a hypocrites " Deployment of Turkey's poor children will pave the way for their bloodshed in those deserts."

Yeah the pkk supporters say this, comedy gold...

 

[HannibalBarca]

Algeria and Tunisia should take on responsibility with opening their air bases to Turkish aircrafts. Wishing the best for legitimate side is the easiest thing to do while sitting safe seats. They will knock the doors of those states after Libya and It is certain that Without active aerial coverage, Our troops will face some difficulties when they need aerial support.

They will not, It is against the politics of the countries.
You have to understand that ALG/TN politics is to stay as neutral as possible, but still voicing their concern in different meetings, like what they did in yesterday's Arab league meeting where they made their point and stance in this conflict. The other Arabs didn't like it but whatever, we made our point.
Opening your territory and more importantly Air bases... will de facto put us in one side and the consequences that goes with it. and TN in this matter can't afford it... Whatever Politically/Militarily and Economically...

Algeria isn't afraid of Haftar or any Arab threat for this matter, that's why even though their stance on Haftar... The others didn't dare to make threats on them...

 

[dBSPL]

Can you give some insight of why majority of Turkish parliament approve the motion to bring troops there ? Is it the power of AKP lead coalition parties (325 seats) ? What nationalist Parties who back AKP lead coalition ?

Since the Presidential elections, existing conjuncture has two main blocs. One of these blocs is MHP + AKP and the other is CHP + IYIP. HDP externally supports CHP + IYIP. Because if the official support, IYIP does not want to take part in this structure. (I know it 's hard to understand.) On the small parties side; while BBP supports MHP+AKP bloc, others support the CHP+IYIP bloc. In particular SP has special status, the SP declared that it would support Motion first, and then announced that it would vote by rejecting the decision. Another important actor is VP, which is outside the parliament but very active in the bureaucracy and in the military, is tacitly supporting the AKP + MHP bloc in most foreign policy articles, although it is ideologically on the separate wing.

*

Of course, each political party has its own ideological framework, and they view the Libyan issue in this respect. I wouldn't want to make good or bad definitions for others except HDP here.

But majority of Turkey public does not look this as only to the EEZ event in MED. They see how the legitimate government of Libya is fighting against injustice. There is also an important group of people who are intellectually interested in Libya issue, they try to explain how foreign interventions in Libya ruined this country, particularlyby France and the UAE.

On the other hand, there are renewed historical and cultural ties between the two countries, especially the people of Misrata and Tripoli. Libya and the Turkish people have never betrayed to each other in any part of history. But when Turkey falls powerless situation in history, always Libya has suffered with us. (Like 1911) No one want to see again this time that the Libyan people will kneel again. That's the basic motivation

 

[Yousafzai_M]

I don't know the story behind but from what I have read (in Western media obviously) is this is a move by Erdogan to take the attention away from domestic issues. Thats pathetic if true.

I personally don't see a need of Turkish soldiers being in Libya, doesn't matter how much it pleases me to see our Turkish brothers strong (and rich) enough to deploy troops in another country. To me it looks like total waste of money and God forbid, lives.

 

[Indos]

They will not, It is against the politics of the countries.
You have to understand that ALG/TN politics is to stay as neutral as possible, but still voicing their concern in different meetings, like what they did in yesterday's Arab league meeting where they made their point and stance in this conflict. The other Arabs didn't like it but whatever, we made our point.
Opening your territory and more importantly Air bases... will de facto put us in one side and the consequences that goes with it. and TN in this matter can't afford it... Whatever Politically/Militarily and Economically...

Algeria isn't afraid of Haftar or any Arab threat for this matter, that's why even though their stance on Haftar... The others didn't dare to make threats on them...

Do you know the stance of Marocco on Arab league meeting over Libya issue ?