Greece, Cyprus, Israel condemn Turkey's decision to deploy troops in Libya

ATHENS - Greece, Cyprus and Israel on Thursday evening condemned Turkish parliament's approval of troop deployment in war-torn Libya.

"This decision constitutes a gross violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011), imposing an arms embargo on Libya and seriously undermining the international community's efforts to find a peaceful, political solution to the Libyan conflict," said a joint statement made here by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"It marks a dangerous escalation of the conflict and a significant deterioration of the situation. Turkey should not violate the Libyan Political Agreement and related United Nations resolutions," said the statement released by Greek government spokesperson Stelios Petsas.

"The repercussions of such a reckless move will be detrimental to the stability and peace of the entire region. Ankara should refrain from taking such an action, which blatantly violates Libyan national sovereignty and independence," the statement added.

Earlier on Thursday, the Turkish parliament passed a motion authorizing the government to deploy troops in Libya for a year in support of the UN-backed government based in the capital Tripoli.

Libya has been locked in a civil war that escalated in 2014, splitting power between two rival governments: the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli and another in the northeastern city of Tobruk which is allied with the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar.