Sky News Arabia’s correspondent in Istanbul reported on Tuesday that the Turkish Parliament approved a proposal to extend the mission of the Turkish Armed Forces in Iraq and Syria for three more years.

The correspondent added that the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) voted against the proposal.

The parliament also approved the extension of Turkey’s participation in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Turkish army units joined the UNIFIL mission in 2006, which has been deployed since March 1978 in southern Lebanon along the border with Israel.

The parliament received a proposal signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, expressing his desire to extend the Turkish military presence in Lebanon within this framework.

The proposal stated: “Given our bilateral relations with Lebanon and the security conditions in the region, elements of the Turkish Armed Forces — whose number will be determined by the president — will participate in UNIFIL for an additional two years starting from October 31, 2025.”

Last year, the parliament renewed authorization for 97 Turkish soldiers to participate in the international force for one year.

As of July 2025, according to the United Nations website, UNIFIL’s total personnel stood at 13,000, including 9,800 troops from its three main contributing countries: Indonesia, Italy, and India.