UPDATE - Turkish parliament ratifies motion on Turkey-Libya deal

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS, BACKGROUND

By Alper Atalay

ANKARA (AA) - The Turkish parliament on Saturday ratified a motion on the approval of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on security and military cooperation with Libya.

On Nov. 27, Ankara and Tripoli signed two separate MoUs; one on military cooperation and the other on maritime boundaries of countries in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The maritime pact asserted Turkey's rights in the Eastern Mediterranean in the face of unilateral drilling by the Greek Cypriot administration, clarifying that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) also has rights to the resources in the area. It went into effect on Dec. 8.

Following the military cooperation deal, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara may consider sending troops to Libya if the UN-recognized Tripoli government made such a request.

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.

The parliament in a vote also ratified a motion on approval of the Social Security Agreement between Turkey and Moldova.

* Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev