Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said troops have begun moving into Libya to ensure stability for the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.
The military deployment was approved last week by the Turkish parliament to deter the Libyan rebel forces, led by General Khalifa Haftar, who have been trying to capture the capital.
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Gen Haftar is backed by Egypt and the UAE, while the UN-backed government is supported by Turkey and its ally Qatar.
The Turkish move was criticised by the United States, Egypt and several other countries.
“Our soldiers’ duty there is co-ordination. They will develop the operation centre there. Our soldiers are gradually going right now,” President Erdogan told the CNN Turk TV channel.
The Turkish government has given no details about the scale of the military deployment.
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Libya has been torn by violence since long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi was deposed and killed in 2011 by Nato-backed forces.