Turkish parliament to hold emergency meeting to vote on Libya motion

   ANKARA, Jan. 1  -- The Turkish parliament will hold an emergency meeting to vote on a draft motion Thursday for sending troops, semi-state Anadolu Agency reported on Wednesday.
   The government expects the motion to pass at the parliament, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay was quoted as saying.
   The motion requests for a one-year mandate to deploy troops in Libya on the grounds that developments in the North African country threaten Turkey's interests, including Turkish businesses and its Turkish vessels sailing in the Mediterranean, according to the draft text.
   The draft motion also said sending troops to Libya aims to prevent "illegitimate mass migration threat and formation of a favorable environment for terrorist organizations and armed groups."
   The motion said the government would decide on the size, timing, and scope of the deployment.
   Turkish ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) announced they would back the motion and they have sufficient votes to pass the motion.
   The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), the Good Party and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) objected the motion, saying Turkey should use diplomacy instead of militarily getting involved in the Libya conflict.
   Libya has been locked in a civil war, splitting power between two rival governments: the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) based in capital Tripoli and another in the northeastern city of Tobruk which is allied with the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar.
   Turkey supports the GNA upon the latter's request, in order to fight Libya's east-based army led by Haftar. Last month, Turkey sealed a controversial maritime boundaries delimitation agreement with the GNA along with the security cooperation deal. Xinhau