Libya’s east-based parliament unanimously approved a contested eastern Mediterranean maritime agreement with Türkiye on Tuesday as Turkish chief of intelligence Ibrahim Kalin visited the capital Tripoli.
The House of Representatives voted to adopt the memorandum of understanding signed in 2019 by Türkiye and Libya’s then-government in Tripoli, the Government of National Accord, which was rejected by Egypt, Greece and Cyprus.
Greece’s Foreign Ministry rejected the vote, saying in a statement that it “does not alter the illegal, invalid and groundless nature of the memorandum.”
The ministry said Türkiye and Libya do not have opposite or adjacent coasts that could provide a legal basis for delimiting maritime zones. It said the agreement disregards the rights of Greek islands, which lie between the Turkish and Libyan coasts.
“Geography and the international Law of the Sea cannot be changed by unilateral, legally unfounded parliamentary decisions,” the ministry said. It added that Greece had informed its partners and allies and “will take all appropriate measures to safeguard its sovereign rights.”
Cyprus also condemned the vote, calling the memorandum “illegal, null, and void.”
The Libyan-Türkiye agreement defines maritime jurisdiction areas between the two countries in the Mediterranean, where major natural gas discoveries in recent years have fueled competing claims to offshore waters.
Lawmakers also repealed two resolutions passed in 2020, parliamentary spokesman Abdullah Bliheg said. One rejected agreements with Türkiye, while the other cut political ties with Ankara. Parliament had opposed the accords at a time when Türkiye was backing the Tripoli government against Libyan National Army Khalifa Haftar’s forces.
Officials in both camps welcomed Tuesday’s vote. Saddam Haftar, Khalifa Haftar’s son, said in a statement that the decisions reflected “a move toward overcoming disputes of the past.”
He called the maritime agreement a tool to protect Libya’s economic interests in the Mediterranean and described Türkiye as “a significant regional power.”
The Foreign Ministry of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, led by Abdul Hamid al-Dbeibah, called the vote “a positive development” for relations with Türkiye.
It said cooperation would proceed “in accordance with the relevant rules and principles of international law.”
Dbeibah also met Tuesday in Tripoli with Kalin. A government statement said they discussed security, regional developments, and migration.
The European Union has said the agreement violates the rights of third countries. Türkiye is not a party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Egypt also rejected the accord. In August 2020, Cairo and Athens signed their own maritime agreement in response. Greek officials have said it effectively nullifies the Turkish-Libyan deal.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said he discussed the situation in Libya and the eastern Mediterranean in a phone call with his Greek counterpart on Tuesday, without directly mentioning the vote.
