MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th January, 2021) Turkish servicemen continue to discover and defuse explosives in war-torn Libya within the framework of agreements reached between Ankara and Tripoli in the sphere of military cooperation, the Anadolu news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the Turkish Defense Ministry.
On December 22, the Turkish parliament green-lighted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's request to extend the mandate of national troops in Libya for another 18 months.
According to the media outlet, the demining operations in Libya are conducted by the servicemen of the Turkish Air Forces' Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams.
Libya has been split between two rival administrations since its longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and murdered back in 2011. The western part of the country is controlled by the Government of National Accord (GNA) headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, while the eastern one by the Libyan National Army's (LNA) Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
In January 2020, the Turkish parliament approved the deployment of Turkey's troops to Libya with the aim of supporting the Tripoli-based GNA in its years-long confrontation with the LNA. While Turkey actively backs the Tripoli-based administration, Russia has repeatedly called on the Libyan parties to find ways to restore the country's integrity, stressing that the Libyan nation's sovereignty should come first.
