Libyans wait for Turkish soldiers after parliament vote

By Enes Canli, Mahmut Geldi

TRIPOLI (AA) - Libyans in Tripoli afraid of a massacre by Gen. Khalifa Haftar are awaiting Turkish soldiers to arrive in the region.

Turkey's military motion on Libya attracted the attention by Tripoli residents who are happy the Turkish parliament early Thursday ratified a motion authorizing sending troops to Libya.

"Libya's UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) needed a country to support it militarily to counter attacks on Tripoli. Turkey needed to expand the horizons of the GNA to protect their investments and interests,” Tripoli resident Ahmed Ali told Anadolu Agency. “This agreement between the two countries, was greeted positively by the Libyan people, as it takes into account the common interests."

Saying that although there is no legitimacy for Haftar militants allied with many countries which provide financial support as well as sending weapons, he said it was inevitable for the GNA to reach an agreement with Turkey.

"Libyans, and especially the residents of Tripoli, know well the crimes committed in Benghazi, Derna and many other regions by the militants who tried to capture Tripoli for three years," Ali said, referring to a possible massacre by Haftar's militants in the capital if it is captured.

In April, Haftar's forces launched a military campaign to capture Tripoli from the internationally recognized government.

On Nov. 27, Ankara and Libya's GNA signed two separate pacts: one on military cooperation and the other on maritime boundaries of countries in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Libya has remained beset by turmoil since 2011 when a bloody NATO-backed uprising led to the ouster and death of long-serving President Muammar Gaddafi after more than four decades in power.

Since then, Libya’s stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of power -- one in Tobruk and another in Tripoli -- and a host of heavily-armed militia groups.