Turkey-backed mercenaries spread chaos in Libya

Thousands of Syrian mercenaries sent by Turkey to Libya to fight on the side of the Tripoli government were likely to degrade security and cause a backlash from the Libyan public.

Protests took place over deteriorating economic conditions last month in the capital and elsewhere in western Libya, which is controlled by forces loyal to the Tripoli government.

Turkey-backed militias opened fire on demonstrators with rifles and lorry-mounted guns and abducted some protesters.

Increasing reports of theft, sexual assault and misconduct by Syrian mercenaries in western areas are likely to further degrade the security situation and cause backlash from the Libyan public

Extremists with militant links have been involved in the fighting for financial and personal reasons, rather than ideological reasons .

While the Syrian mercenaries bolstered the government’s position, their continued presence will continue to negatively affect the overall security situation in Libya.

Turkey sent to Libya at least 5,000 Syrian mercenaries who had worked closely with Ankara in Syria’s civil war. They were sent to help government militias fight the forces of eastern-based Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

Turkey also sent hundreds of regular troops to Libya, including operators and technicians for Turkish air defense systems in western Libya.