By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Istanbul on October 23 that Cairo categorically rejected Libya's parliamentary approval of the 2019 maritime agreement with Türkiye. Egypt said Fidan expressed understanding of its concerns and called for further consultations. Greece also took its objections to the United Nations.
The ministers met during talks involving Türkiye, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Abdelatty raised Egypt's objections over exclusive economic zones and continental shelves, according to his ministry. Cairo did not say Fidan accepted its legal position. Türkiye's Foreign Ministry had defended the memorandum on October 20 as consistent with international law and equity. Its Defense Ministry reiterated that position in an October 22 briefing.
Greece Takes Its Protest to the UN
Greek diplomatic sources said Greece's UN ambassador, Aglaia Balta, sent a letter to Secretary-General António Guterres on October 22 on instructions from Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis. They said it challenged Libya's parliamentary vote and restated Athens' objections to the maritime claims in the agreement.
The letter followed closed UN Security Council consultations requested by Greece on October 21. The Council adopted no decision. Bosphorus News could not independently obtain the letter's full text or verify a UN document number.
Athens argues that the pact ignores the maritime entitlements of Greek islands and that Türkiye and Libya lack the facing or adjacent coastlines needed for their claimed delimitation. Ankara disputes those arguments. Washington has separately urged Türkiye and Greece to negotiate their maritime differences.
Libya Reverses Its Earlier Rejection
Libya's eastern-based House of Representatives voted unanimously on October 20 to approve the maritime memorandum signed by Türkiye and the then Tripoli-based Government of National Accord on November 27, 2019. It also revoked two decisions from 2020 rejecting the agreements with Ankara and calling for political ties to be severed.
The Tripoli-based Government of National Unity welcomed the vote. Libya's High Council of State supported it as well, though it called for the remaining legal procedures to be completed. The institutions remain divided over Libya's governance.
Türkiye says the memorandum has been in force since 2019. The UN Treaty Collection records its entry into force on December 8, 2019, and registration three days later under number 56119. Registration does not settle the competing maritime claims or the rights of third states.
Regional Objections and Support
Israel's Foreign Ministry condemned the Libyan vote on October 21, arguing that the agreement infringed the sovereign rights of its regional allies. The Republic of Cyprus Foreign Ministry also objected, citing the maritime entitlements of islands.
European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the memorandum null and void, repeating the EU position that it cannot create legal effects against third states. Türkiye's Communications Directorate rejected Israel's accusation of destabilizing the region, and Ankara maintained its defense of the agreement.
The Turkish Cypriot Foreign Ministry welcomed Libya's vote on October 23 and backed Ankara's position.
Greece and Egypt are also discussing a possible eastward extension of their partial 2020 maritime delimitation agreement. Abdelatty and Gerapetritis raised the issue this week, but neither government has announced a new boundary or set a date for concluding an agreement.
Sources: Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Libyan House of Representatives, Libyan News Agency, Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Türkiye's Communications Directorate, UN Treaty Collection, European Council, European Commission, Republic of Cyprus Foreign Ministry, Turkish Cypriot Foreign Ministry, Reuters, Bosphorus News review and reporting.