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Libya's Parliament is expected to vote this week on the ratification of a 2019 maritime agreement with Türkiye, according to a Libyan lawmaker speaking to The Libya Observer.
"The deal could be passed and voted on during a formal session this week," the lawmaker stated.
The maritime boundary delimitation agreement, signed in 2019, aims to define exclusive economic zones in the Eastern Mediterranean. The pact has remained a source of geopolitical friction, drawing criticism from Greece and the European Union.
The House of Representatives-designate Prime Minister Osama Hammad has firmly dismissed in his recent remarks the Greek officials questioning the validity of the Libya-Türkiye maritime agreement, asserting that Tripoli will not tolerate interference in its sovereign decisions.
The statement came during a graduation ceremony for police officers in Tripoli on Saturday, where Hammad defended the controversial accord as being fully aligned with international law.
In a pointed address, Hammad stressed that the maritime agreement with Türkiye, signed in 2019, does not infringe on the sovereignty of any third country. He underlined Libya's right to establish international partnerships that serve national interests and promote regional stability.
"These agreements are part of our sovereign jurisdiction and are not open to foreign review or political pressure," Hammad stated.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis recently brought the issue before European Union leaders during the recent EU summit in Brussels. While his comments focused on the 2019 Türkiye–Libya maritime agreement, they followed a new energy cooperation deal between Türkiye's state-run oil company TPAO and Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC).
Mitsotakis labeled the 2019 deal "unacceptable, illegal, and baseless" and called for the EU’s summit conclusions to mirror language from December 2019, declaring the agreement as non-binding under EU law.
In its official summit conclusions on June 26, the European Council reiterated its stance that the 2019 Türkiye–Libya memorandum infringes on the sovereign rights of third states. The Council declared the agreement incompatible with the Law of the Sea and stated it "cannot produce any legal consequences for third states."
Türkiye recently rejected the EU’s latest conclusions, describing them as politically motivated.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli recently stated that the 2019 Türkiye–Libya Memorandum of Understanding was a lawful agreement consistent with international law.
Keceli criticized efforts by Greece and the Greek Cypriot Administration to "impose maximalist claims" on the EU and accused the bloc of making biased political statements on technical maritime delimitation issues.
"The Türkiye–Libya Memorandum of Understanding, signed in 2019 on the delimitation of maritime jurisdiction areas in the Eastern Mediterranean, is a lawful agreement that clearly shows Türkiye will not allow its legitimate rights and interests to be violated," Keceli stated.
Greek diplomatic sources, speaking to media outlet Kathimerini, responded to recent remarks by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, which criticized Greece and Greek Cyprus over their stance on the Türkiye–Libya maritime zone.
"Practices such as refusing to sign the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, adopted by 168 countries, overturning centuries-old arrangements at world heritage monuments, or threatening war in response to the exercise of rights derived from international law do not allow for lectures," the Greek diplomatic sources said.
"Greece will consistently uphold international law and good neighborly relations. But this must apply to all," the Greek sources added.
Following Greek criticism of the Türkiye–Libya maritime agreement, Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) issued a written statement affirming that all agreements and partnerships entered into by the Libyan state are grounded in international law.
The NOC reaffirmed Libya’s sovereign position over resources within its borders and emphasized its commitment to protecting national interests in hydrocarbon exploration and development, including partnerships in the Middle East.
"In light of recent reflections concerning maritime boundaries and regional energy cooperation, the NOC stresses that all agreements and partnerships concluded by the Libyan state are based on the principles of international law and serve the long-term interests of the Libyan people," the statement read.
The Libyan Government of National Unity previously expressed deep concern regarding Greece’s June 12 announcement in the EU’s Official Journal about a hydrocarbon exploration tender in disputed areas south of Crete.
On June 23, the Libyan Foreign Ministry summoned Greek Ambassador Nikolaos Garielinis in response to what it called unilateral Greek actions in contested maritime zones.
Libyan authorities conveyed their objection, stating that Greece’s moves violated international maritime law and infringed on Libya’s sovereign rights.
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