On Tuesday, the Turkish presidency submitted a memorandum to parliament proposing the extension of Turkish military deployments in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon for three years starting from October 30.

The current mandate allowing the president to send troops to Iraq and Syria for cross-border operations expires on October 30. Additionally, the one-year authorization for Turkey’s participation in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ends on October 31.

According to the presidential memorandum signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as reported by the Turkish newspaper Zaman, the proposal seeks to:

- Extend Turkey’s military presence in Syria and Iraq for three years starting October 30.

- Extend the deployment of Turkish troops to Lebanon for two additional years starting October 31.

The memorandums are expected to be discussed in the parliamentary general assembly next week.

Meanwhile, the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (HEDEP) criticized the presidential memorandums. Deputy Chair of the party’s parliamentary group, Kılıç Koçyiğit, stated:

 “The memorandums call for extending Turkey’s military presence in Iraq and Syria and even sending more troops. This is unacceptable. Despite framing these memorandums as matters of national security, we ultimately perceive them as interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Therefore, we affirm that they are neither legal nor legitimate.”