President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced plans to send Turkish troops to Libya at the request of Tripoli as soon as next month, putting the North African country's conflict at the centre of wider regional frictions.

Key points: Last month, Ankara signed two separate accords with Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA)

Last month, Ankara signed two separate accords with Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) The US and Egyptian presidents have "rejected foreign exploitation" regarding Libya

The US and Egyptian presidents have "rejected foreign exploitation" regarding Libya Turkey has already sent military supplies to the GNA despite a United Nations arms embargo

Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli has been struggling to fend off General Khalifa Haftar's forces (LNA), which have been supported by Russia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jordan.

"Since there is an invitation [from Libya] right now, we will accept it," Mr Erdogan told members of his ruling AK Party.

"We will present the motion to send troops as soon as Parliament resumes."

Turkey's Parliament will next meet on January 7, meaning, pending approval, Turkish troops could be deployed as early as January 8.

Libya has been in turmoil since 2011, when a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime ruler Moamar Gaddafi, and is now split into rival eastern and western administrations.

In April, Mr Haftar waged a military campaign against the GNA with the aim of seizing the capital and full control of Libya.

An official in Tripoli confirmed a formal request had been made for Turkish military support in the air, on the ground and at sea.

Earlier, GNA Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha suggested in comments to reporters in Tunis that no such request had yet been made.

Last month, Ankara signed two separate accords with the GNA, which holds the capital Tripoli and is recognised by the United Nations.

The two accords pertain to security and military cooperation and maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean.

Fighters for the GNA in Tripoli have been fending off an offensive by General Khalifa Haftar's forces since April. ( Supplied: Moftah Enhaise )

The maritime deal ended Turkey's isolation in the eastern Mediterranean as it ramped up offshore energy exploration, alarming Greece and some other neighbours.

The military deal would preserve its lone ally in the region, Tripoli.

Mr Haftar's fighters had failed to reach the centre of Tripoli but had made small gains in recent weeks in some southern suburbs of the capital with the help of Russian and Sudanese fighters, as well as drones shipped by the UAE, diplomats said.

'Foreign exploitation'

US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi "rejected foreign exploitation" regarding Libya, the White House said, referring to a phone call between the two leaders on Thursday.

"The leaders … agreed that parties must take urgent steps to resolve the conflict before Libyans lose control to foreign actors," the White House said.

Egypt reportedly supported Mr Haftar's forces, while Washington called all sides to de-escalate and warned over rising Russian involvement.

For weeks, Ankara had flagged the possibility of a military mission in Libya, which would further stretch its armed forces less than three months after it launched an incursion into north-eastern Syria against a Kurdish militia.

Washington has called all sides to de-escalate and warned over rising Russian involvement. ( Reuters: Goran Tomasevic )

Turkey had already sent military supplies to the GNA despite a United Nations arms embargo, according to a UN report seen by Reuters last month.

Moscow had voiced concerns over any Turkish deployment in support of the GNA.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Thursday and they agreed the crisis must be resolved peacefully, the Kremlin said.

'A military game'

Video footage obtained by the ABC showed scenes of chaos as civilian bodies were recovered from smouldering shops and cars on Thursday in the city of Zawia, which had been under bombardment by the LNA.

Moftah Enhaise, a GNA fighter on Tripoli's frontlines, told the ABC they welcomed help from Turkish forces, saying they were facing "fully trained mercenaries".

The UN had accused LNA forces of recruiting fighters from Sudan, while Russia had been accused of sending mercenaries to fight on Mr Haftar's side.

"They are all helping a war baron [Mr Haftar], whereas we are accepting an invitation from the legitimate government of the country. That is our difference," Mr Erdogan said.

Mr Haftar's army had been trying since April to take Tripoli from the GNA, which was set up in 2016 following a UN-brokered deal.

Libya is controlled by two competing governments and various militia groups. ( ABC News: Graphic by Jarrod Fankhauser )

Russian mercenaries have put more pressure on the GNA and "accelerated this quid pro quo between Tripoli and Ankara," said Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat and chairman of think tank Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies.

"The risk is that Turkey is being sucked into a military game where the only path is more engagement and escalation," he said.

Turkish and Russian officials held talks in Moscow this week to seek a compromise on the issues of both Libya and Syria, where Russia backs President Bashar al-Assad.

In the Mediterranean, Turkey was at loggerheads with Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and Israel over rights to resources off the coast of the divided island of Cyprus. Athens said Ankara's maritime deal with Tripoli violated international law.

ABC/Reuters