Current arising conflict in Libya pitted Turkey against Russia when both the parties are not ready to compromise on their gradually warming ties. Turkey and Libya are taking care that they have regional support while countering the renegade general Khalifa Haftar’s offensive to capture Tripoli. Prima facie, if Erdogan deploys troops to Libya following parliamentary approval on January 8-9, that could pit Turkish forces against Russians. Clearly, it is crucial that Russian and Turkish ambitions in Libya are reconciled and a flashpoint avoided. The Turks had basically total control of the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea until after they were clearly defeated in the siege of Vienna in 1683.

Source: Libya Today December 27, 2019 11:37 UTC