A motion authorizing the deployment of Turkish troops to Libya will be submitted to parliament on Monday, according to Turkey’s foreign minister.
Mevlut Cavusoglu made the statement after meeting opposition party leaders to argue in favor of the motion.
Cavusoglu said he had spoken about “why we need this motion, what our national interests and threats are in Libya and the region, and also our efforts as a country that supports a lasting peace and political process in Libya."
Last week Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the motion would be submitted to parliament in light of a request by Libya’s UN-recognized government for military assistance.
Cavusoglu added that the Foreign Ministry learned “that the motion will go to parliament with the signature of our president."
Cavusoglu spoke to main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu about the motion behind closed doors for nearly an hour.
2 parties deciding on motion
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Cavusoglu said: "Of course the decision on the motion is up to the CHP.
"We told them why we need a resolution, including the threats we face, in terms of our country and its national interests."
Cavusoglu added that he will not be visiting the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), another major party in parliament, as it already voiced its support for the motion over the weekend.
After the meeting, Unal Cevikoz, the CHP’s deputy chair, said that they oppose the motion.
Cevikgoz said that Turkey’s foreign policy in recent years, especially on Syria, had caused the country trouble and they do not want to spread this to another country.
He said that instead of being a party to the proxy war by sending troops to Libya, diplomacy should be prioritized instead.
Cavusoglu and Meral Aksener, leader of the opposition Good (IYI) Party leader, also spoke on the motion for over an hour behind closed doors.
On Nov. 27, Ankara and Libya's UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) signed a pact on military cooperation, as well as one on maritime boundaries in the Eastern Mediterranean.
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.
*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara
