NEO-OTTOMAN EMPIRE: "SULTAN" ERDOGAN SENDS TURKS BACK INTO LIBYA AFTER 108 YEARS

The Turks never really accepted the downgrade in status that came with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1918. Now, with the expansionary rule of President Recep "Sultan" Erdogan, we are seeing what looks like an attempt to create a "Neo-Ottoman Empire." 

The latest move to confirm this is Erdogan's decision to deploy troops to Libya, which only needs to be rubber-stamped by the Turkish Parliament in January. 

According to Arab News:

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday opened the way for direct Turkish military intervention in Libya, announcing a parliamentary vote in early January on sending troops to support the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) against strongman Khalifa Haftar.

Sending Turkish troops will complicate the situation in an already fragile country torn by internal dissent since the ouster and killing of dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.

“We will present the motion to send troops (to Libya) as soon as parliament resumes” on January 7, Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara.

“God willing, we will pass it in parliament on January 8-9 and thus respond to an invitation” from the Tripoli-based GNA, he said.

Erdogan’s comments come after the Turkish parliament on Saturday ratified a security and military cooperation deal with the GNA of Fayez Al-Sarraj.

That agreement, which came into force on Thursday, allows Ankara to send military and security personnel to Libya for training purposes, according to Turkish officials.

But a separate motion is needed to send boots on the ground. The Turkish parliament in October passed another motion to deploy troops in Iraq and Syria for another year.

Up until 1912, when it was conquered by the Italians, Libya was an Ottoman province. Since the ousting of its former dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 the country has been in chaos and is now divided into two main warring factions.

The intervention of Turkish forces is unlikely to prove decisive as other regional powers are involved in the conflict and will likely counter Turkish moves. While Turkey and Qatar side with the GNA, Russia, neighbouring Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates support the rival faction led by General Hafter. 

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