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Türkiye welcomed a unanimous vote by Libya’s House of Representatives to approve the 2019 maritime jurisdiction memorandum between Ankara and Tripoli.
The move settles a question that had hung over the agreement since the same chamber rejected it in 2020.
The European Union responded within hours with a statement calling the deal “null and void,” while Greece and Egypt held talks on its implications.
In a written statement numbered 202, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the memorandum, in force since 2019, rests on international law and the principles of equity. It said the agreement “takes into account the mutual rights and interests of the two countries” and helps deepen cooperation between them.
The House of Representatives said it unanimously approved the memorandum, which was signed in 2019 between Libya’s then Government of National Accord and Türkiye. The agreement delimits maritime jurisdiction areas in the Mediterranean.
The chamber also unanimously canceled its own Resolution No. 1 of 2020, which had rejected approval of two memorandums signed between the Government of National Accord and the Turkish government.
The Turkish ministry said Türkiye will continue, in line with its respect for international law, to work with all partners to ensure “trust, stability and peace” in the Mediterranean basin. The statement did not describe specific next steps.
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European Council President António Costa, in a post on X, said the EU “deeply” regretted the ratification of Libyan-Türkiye memorandum. The post accompanied a joint statement by Costa and the president of the European Commission.
Costa said the EU’s position, set out by the European Council in 2019, “remains unchanged.”
He said the agreement infringes on the sovereign rights of third states, does not comply with the Law of the Sea and is “null and void.” He reaffirmed solidarity with Greece and Greek Cyprus and restated the bloc’s opposition to “any outside interference” in Libya.
Separately, Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis spoke by phone with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, according to the Greek Foreign Ministry.
It said the discussion focused on developments surrounding the memorandum and their implications for security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Abdelatty said on X that he praised the strategic partnership with Greece and discussed a trilateral summit with Greek Cyprus and the situation in Libya.
Ankara and the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord signed the maritime deal in November 2019. Greece, Egypt and Greek Cyprus objected, arguing it ignores the maritime rights of Greek islands.
Türkiye is not a party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and has long argued that islands should not generate maritime zones that cut off the coastlines of larger neighbors.
Libya has been divided for years between rival administrations, and the House of Representatives is the eastern-based legislature.
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