The pact is \u201cillegal, null and void\u201d and violates international maritime law and other states\u2019 sovereign rights, Greece and Cyprus have said<\/p>\n
Libya\u2019s eastern-based parliament has approved a disputed maritime agreement with T\u00fcrkiye, drawing condemnation from Greece and Cyprus over competing boundaries and energy rights in the Mediterranean.
\nThe House of Representatives voted unanimously on Tuesday to endorse the agreement, which was first signed in November 2019 between Ankara and Libya\u2019s internationally recognized government in Tripoli. Lawmakers also overturned a 2020 decision to sever political ties with T\u00fcrkiye.
\nThe agreement demarcates maritime jurisdiction between the two countries in an area contested by Greece, Egypt, and Cyprus.
\nThe Greek Foreign Ministry called the parliamentary decision \u201cunilateral [and] legally unfounded,\u201d saying the deal disregards Greek islands\u2019 rights to maritime zones between the Turkish and Libyan coasts.
\n\u201cThe memorandum remains illegal, null and void, contravenes international law of the sea, and infringes upon the sovereign rights of states in the region,\u201d the ministry said in a statement.<\/p>\n
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It argued that T\u00fcrkiye and Libya lack opposite or adjacent coastlines providing a lawful basis for the boundary, warning that Greece would take action to defend its sovereign rights. Cyprus also condemned the decision, calling the memorandum \u201cillegal, null and void.\u201d
\nAnkara welcomed the vote, saying the agreement safeguards \u201cthe mutual rights and interests\u201d of both countries under international law and the principle of equity, while deepening cooperation between T\u00fcrkiye and Libya. \u201cT\u00fcrkiye will continue to work with all partners to foster trust, stability and peace in the Mediterranean basin, in line with its commitment to international law,\u201d the Foreign Ministry stated.<\/p>\n
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The eastern Mediterranean has seen a wave of offshore gas discoveries since 2009, opening new export opportunities while intensifying disputes over maritime boundaries and drilling rights. Major finds off Israel, Cyprus, and Egypt have attracted international energy companies, including Chevron and Eni, to the region, according to a US Energy Information Administration report.
\nGreece and Egypt signed an overlapping maritime agreement in 2020, which T\u00fcrkiye rejects. Athens also approved offshore exploration south of Crete by a consortium led by Chevron last year, prompting Turkish objections.
\nThe move on Tuesday comes amid improving ties between T\u00fcrkiye and Libya\u2019s eastern authorities, who are aligned with military commander Khalifa Haftar. Ankara helped Tripoli repel his forces\u2019 2019-2020 campaign to capture the capital, but has since expanded diplomatic contacts and investment in the east. The country remains divided between Abdul Hamid Dbeibah\u2019s government in the capital, Tripoli, in western Libya, and an eastern administration led by Osama Hammad and backed by Haftar.<\/p>\n
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Officials from both rival administrations welcomed the parliamentary approval. The Tripoli-based Foreign Ministry called it a \u201cpositive development toward strengthening bilateral relations\u201d with T\u00fcrkiye. Haftar\u2019s son Saddam, the deputy commander of the Libyan National Army, called it a move toward overcoming past differences, putting Libya\u2019s national interests first.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The pact is \u201cillegal, null and void\u201d and violates international maritime law and other states\u2019 sovereign rights, Greece and Cyprus have said Libya\u2019s eastern-based parliament has approved a disputed maritime…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40270,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t