Turkey 'sending 2,000 Syrian rebels to Libya'

Duvar English

Some 2,000 Syrian fighters have traveled from Turkey or will arrive imminently to fight alongside the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) on the battlefields of Libya, said U.K.-based newspaper the Guardian on Jan. 15.

Some 650 fighters are already in Libya, where they have been posted to frontline positions in the east of Tripoli, the newspaper said. Another 1,350 men crossed into Turkey on Jan. 5, some of whom have since been deployed to Libya with others still undergoing training at camps in southern Turkey.

The fighters have signed six-month contracts directly with the GNA, rather than with the Turkish military, sources from the Syrian National Army (SNA) told the newspaper.

The GNA will provide each fighter with $2,000 a month, which is a vast sum compared with the 450-550 Turkish Liras ($76-93) a month they earn in Syria. The fighters have been offered Turkish nationality in return for their efforts, according to the SNA sources.

The Turkish government is also paying medical bills for injured Syrian fighters and is responsible for repatriating the dead fighters to Syria. At least four Syrians have died in Libya already, the Guardian said.

The deployment of the fighters comes after the GNA in December requested Turkish support as it fends off an offensive by General Khalifa Haftar’s forces, which are backed by Russia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

On Jan. 2, Turkey’s parliament approved a motion on sending troops to Libya, with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) backing the bill.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan later said that Turkey itself has so far sent 35 soldiers to Libya, but they would not partake in any combat. The 35 Turkish military personnel are only tasked with “providing coordination,” Erdoğan said.

On Jan. 12, the warring sides of the Libyan conflict announced a ceasefire in response to the call of Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin. But, Haftar walked away from peace talks that took place one day later in Moscow, failing to sign a binding truce with the GNA's Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj.

On Jan. 14, the speaker of Libya’s eastern-based parliament declared an end to ceasefire in the conflict-ridden country. "The ceasefire in Libya is over, and the war will resume," said Aguila Saleh Issa, speaking to Arab satellite television station Al-Ghad.

“They responded positively to the ceasefire because of their respect for Russian President Vladimir Putin,” Issa said, referring to Haftar's delegation at the ceasefire talks.

Touching on the failure of militias loyal to Haftar in making headway in clashes against forces of Libya's U.N.-recognized government, Issa said: "Turkey's intervention delayed us in achieving results in the fight to take back Tripoli."