Turkish Lawmakers Extend Troop Deployment in Syria, Iraq

(Bloomberg) -- Turkey’s parliament voted Tuesday to extend the government’s mandate to send troops to Syria and Iraq for cross-border operations through the end of October 2023. 

Earlier this month, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to clear U.S.-backed Kurdish militants that Turkey views as a mortal threat from border areas in Syria.

Turkey’s main opposition party, CHP, and the pro-Kurdish party voted against the motion. CHP said the mandate shouldn’t extend beyond presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for June 2023. 

Previously the mandate had been extended for one year. 

The measure also allows the government to host foreign troops in Turkey and to continue deploying soldiers in Lebanon by one more year.

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