Conflicts in the Middle East attract interventions by regional powers. The Turkish parliament’s approval of troop deployment to assist one side in the Libyan civil conflict reveals some themes, explains Mustafa Batman, an International Fox Fellow at Yale University. Turkey’s involvement in Libya, like many in the region, centers on oil and began with a signed agreement on maritime boundaries with Libya – a response to resist a coalition formed by Cyprus, Egypt, Israel and Greece to develop and distribute Eastern Mediterranean natural gas reserves. Interventions can disrupt traditional partnerships. In Turkey’s case, its intervention with Russia against the Syrian Democratic Forces countered goals of the US as a fellow NATO member. Yet, months later, the Libyan intervention puts Turkey and Russia on opposite sides. Finally, interventions can become a tool for rallying domestic public opinion. Batman argues that sending troops to Libya could be more disruptive for Turkey’s domestic politics than its previous interventions in Syria. He urges the international community to discourage interventions and sanctions, both of which risk provoking nationalist ire. – YaleGlobal
