After a 12-year gap caused by an ethnically-driven political dispute, municipal elections were finally held in the divided city of Mostar, but they failed to deliver the expected shift away from the main Bosniak and Croat ethnic parties.

The measure, which extends Turkey’s presence in Libya by 18 months, had the backing of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party. The Turkish Parliament voted Tuesday to extend the deployment of Turkish troops in war-torn Libya who are fighting on behalf of the internationally recognized government.

The Iraqi government needs Turkey to counterbalance Iran and help alleviate Baghdad’s economic problems, but the Kurdish issue, which has long strained bilateral ties, might further snag progress in economic and strategic projects.