Libyan Lawmakers Ratify Turkish Sea Link

Libya’s parliament voted unanimously on Tuesday to ratify a maritime agreement with Turkey. The measure establishes a direct economic corridor linking the southern coast of Turkey with the northern coast of Libya. This action formally reverses a previous stance taken by the eastern government and sets the stage for joint exploitation of offshore resources.

The political alignment between the two nations began in 2019. At that time, Turkey reached an agreement with the UN-recognized Government of National Accord in western Libya. The rival administration in the east initially opposed the deal. That position has now changed as the eastern legislature approved the accord. The Turkish Foreign Ministry publicly welcomed the outcome of the vote.

The corridor passes through waters near several Greek islands, including Crete, Karpathos, and Rhodes. Athens maintains that it holds a comprehensive exclusive economic zone around these landmasses. The Greek Foreign Ministry stated on social media that it firmly rejects the accord. It noted that the European Union backs this position, with Brussels calling the memorandum null and void.

The EU argues the agreement violates the sovereign rights of third states. Kaja Kallas, the high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, addressed the vote on X. She stated that the Libyan action infringes upon the sovereign rights of neighboring countries.

The core of the dispute involves competing interpretations of maritime law. Greece relies on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Article 121 of that convention grants inhabited islands the same economic zone rights as mainland territory. Athens cites a 2022 ruling by the International Court of Justice involving Colombia and Nicaragua. That decision required fair demarcation based on coastlines and geography.

Turkey contends that the specific geography of the Mediterranean requires special consideration. Ankara argues that granting full economic zones to every small Greek island would cut Turkey off from the open sea. Turkey has not signed the convention and does not accept arbitration by a UN tribunal. Legal experts remain divided on the correct method for dividing these waters.

Relations between Libya and Turkey have shifted since the civil war of 2019. Turkey intervened militarily to support the government in Tripoli against forces led by General Khalifa Hifter. A subsequent diplomatic effort brought about a rapprochement with Hifter’s camp. Turkish firms have secured billions in reconstruction contracts. The state oil company TPAO is now working with Libya’s National Oil Corporation on seismic surveys.

The new corridor also intersects with the planned EastMed pipeline. That project was designed to transport gas from Israel and Cyprus through Greece to the European Union. Turkey has argued that any cable or pipeline crossing its claimed continental shelf requires its consent. The agreement could solidify a regional split between a Turkey-Libya axis and an EU-supported group including Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, and Israel.

Estimates suggest that natural gas reserves worth several hundred billion US dollars lie under the seabed in the area. Both Ankara and Tripoli aim to secure their economic rights to these deposits. The ratified agreement provides the legal framework for these two nations to develop the resources jointly.