By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk
On October 24, 2026, Libya's Tripoli government offered to discuss Egypt's maritime objections as Türkiye pressed its proposal for a separate boundary agreement with Cairo. Nexans outlined further production constraints for the Greece–Cyprus power link, Turkish Cypriot officials took citizenship concerns to Brussels, and 15 more suspects were remanded in Türkiye's fund investigation.
Eastern Mediterranean | Maritime Boundaries and Cyprus
Dbeibah Offers Talks on Egypt's Maritime Objections
Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah told Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad that Tripoli was ready to address Cairo's objections over Mediterranean maritime boundaries. His office disclosed the offer after their October 24 meeting but announced neither a negotiating format nor a revised boundary proposal.
The offer follows the eastern Libyan House of Representatives' endorsement of the 2019 Türkiye–Libya maritime memorandum, which it had previously opposed. Egypt objected to the vote in talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in İstanbul.
Güler Says Türkiye–Egypt Deal Could Give Cairo 15,000 More Square Kilometers
Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said in an October 23 television interview that Ankara was ready for a maritime delimitation agreement with Egypt. By his estimate, Cairo would gain about 15,000 square kilometers of maritime jurisdiction compared with an agreement with Greece.
The figure is Türkiye's calculation, which Egypt has not endorsed. Cairo signed a partial maritime delimitation agreement with Athens in 2020 and continues to oppose the Türkiye–Libya memorandum. No new boundary coordinates or date for talks were announced.
Dânâ Raises Schengen and Turkish Cypriot Citizenship Concerns in Brussels
Turkish Cypriot Presidential Undersecretary Mehmet Dânâ followed his meetings with British lawmakers in London with talks in Brussels involving European Council, European Commission and member-state representatives. The Turkish Cypriot Presidency said on October 24 that the talks covered citizenship difficulties for children of mixed marriages, the Republic of Cyprus's Schengen preparations and restrictions on Turkish Cypriot commercial, sporting and cultural activities.
Dânâ met officials responsible for Schengen, internal security, migration and enlargement. No EU commitment on citizenship or crossings was announced.
Energy & Strategic Infrastructure
Nexans Books Cable Capacity Through Mid-2028 as GSI Target Slips to 2031
Nexans excluded Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) work from its 2026 forecast and expects another project to occupy its cable-production capacity until mid-2028. Chief executive Julien Hueber told investors on October 22 that a possible GSI restart in 2028 would first require seabed surveys, engineering and financing.
The Republic of Cyprus energy regulator has moved estimated completion of the Greece–Cyprus power link from January 2030 to January 2031. About 40 percent of seabed surveys remain unfinished, and final costs are unsettled. Earlier survey preparations near Kasos and Meridiam's proposed majority investment have yet to produce a firm manufacturing restart date.
Cronos Infrastructure Contract Set for October 26 Signing Ceremony
The Republic of Cyprus Presidency scheduled an October 26 signing ceremony for an engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract covering infrastructure for the Cronos offshore gas field. Eni executive Guido Brusco is due to meet President Nikos Christodoulides before the noon event.
The announcement names neither the contractor nor the contract value. Eni awarded McDermott a subsea contract in September, but it is not clear whether Monday's ceremony formalizes that award or covers additional work. Cronos targets first gas in 2028, with exports planned through Egypt's Zohr-linked infrastructure and Damietta LNG terminal.
Cyprus, Greece & Legal Affairs
PepsiCo Named in €144.15 Million Famagusta Property Claim
Cyprofruta and Cyprus Farming Company sued PepsiCo and 11 other defendants in Nicosia over the alleged use of a Famagusta factory and land by Ektam Kibris. Politis reported claims of €9.15 million in rent and about €135 million for lost use and business profits.
The Famagusta claims have not been adjudicated. On October 7, a New York appeals court upheld the dismissal of claims against PepsiCo in a separate Ektam-related invoicing dispute. The New York ruling does not decide the Famagusta property case. The defendants' responses were not available in the reporting.
Greece Accuses Türkiye of Hypocrisy Over Western Thrace Muftis
Greece's Foreign Ministry called Türkiye's criticism of mufti appointments in Western Thrace "at least hypocritical" on October 24, citing Türkiye's own state appointment system. Greek presidential decrees published on October 21 appointed Bilal Kara Halil in Komotini and Şükrü Şerif Damatoğlu in Xanthi to five-year terms.
The appointments in Komotini and Xanthi followed Greece's statutory selection procedure under Law 4964/2022, which provides no direct community vote. Ankara and Turkish minority organizations recognize İbrahim Şerif and Mustafa Trampa as elected muftis. Athens defines the community under the Lausanne Treaty as a religious minority; Türkiye and minority organizations call it the Turkish minority.
Black Sea | Maritime Security
Romania Suspends Renewed Search for Three Missing Khoryv Sailors
Romanian rescuers resumed the search for three missing crew members of the Comoros-flagged Khoryv on October 24. SAR ARTEMIS left Constanța at 2:24 p.m.; worsening visibility forced rescuers to suspend operations at 6:04 p.m., the sea-rescue agency reported.
The three have been missing since the October 23 drone attack off Romania. One crew member died and nine were rescued. Investigators have not publicly identified who launched the drone.
Gulf | Defense and Diplomacy
Güler Says Turkish Troops Are Not Expected to Fight Houthis Under Mecca Pact
In his October 23 television interview, Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said Ankara did not expect its troops to fight the Houthis under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. He described possible military support for Saudi Arabia as a deterrent, comparing it with Türkiye's presence in Qatar.
The 16-article defense agreement still awaits Turkish parliamentary approval. Sending Turkish troops abroad would require a separate parliamentary mandate, while the signatories must agree on the form of assistance under the pact.
Regional Diplomacy | Religious Institutions
Sinai Monastery Agreement Nears Signature as Former Archbishop Objects
Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said on October 24 that Saint Catherine's Monastery and the Egyptian state had agreed on terms governing the monastery's legal status. He said the arrangement would protect its religious character and provide monks with long-term residence permits. Archbishop Symeon has accepted the settlement, but no signing date has been fixed.
Former archbishop Damianos opposes the proposal and accuses Athens of pressuring the monks. The final text remains unpublished, including its ownership and legal-status provisions. Those questions were examined in the Sinai–Halki legal comparison.
Cyprus | Missing Persons
Families of 11 Missing Greek Nationals Complete DNA Sampling
Relatives of 11 Greek nationals missing since 1974 have provided genetic samples, Republic of Cyprus Presidential Commissioner Marios Hartsiotis told the Cyprus News Agency on October 24. The last family visit took place in Greece on October 22 with Deputy Defense Minister Thanasis Davakis.
The samples may help identify remains if a match is found; officials announced no new identification. The work follows years of excavation and identification efforts in Cyprus.
Türkiye | Capital Markets and Economy
Fifteen More Suspects Remanded in Turkish Fund Investigation
An İstanbul court remanded 15 suspects in custody on October 24, among them İnan Altınbaş and former Türkiye Sigorta chief Taha Çakmak. Seven others were released under judicial-control measures. Prosecutors are investigating alleged abusive trading in shares including Işıklar Enerji, Vişne Madencilik, Odine Solutions and Tera Finansal Yatırımlar Holding.
Prosecutors sought the arrest of former AK Party lawmaker Ertan Aydın, but a court placed him under house arrest and imposed a travel ban instead. Nusret Altınbaş was separately taken into custody. The case continues alongside the fund liquidation and investor-payment process approved by parliament on October 22.
Zeybekci Alleges Failures at About Six Public Institutions in Fund Crisis
AK Party deputy chair Nihat Zeybekci alleged on October 24 that negligence at about six public institutions contributed to the fund crisis. Speaking in Tavas, Denizli, he also accused some institutional managers of misconduct and said companies in which he has an interest had lost money.
He named no institutions and presented no supporting evidence in the remarks reported.
Bosphorus News Reading
Eastern Libya's House of Representatives has endorsed the 2019 Türkiye–Libya memorandum it once opposed. Tripoli has offered to address Egyptian objections, while Güler has supplied a 15,000-square-kilometer estimate for Ankara's alternative proposal. Cairo has accepted neither the Turkish calculation nor a new boundary. No formal delimitation talks or proposed coordinates have been announced.
GSI's new 2031 completion estimate sits beside unfinished seabed surveys, unresolved costs and Nexans cable capacity committed through mid-2028. Cronos has a final investment decision, an export route through Egypt and an October 26 contract ceremony, with first gas targeted for 2028. The Turkish Cypriot side's objections to offshore resource decisions remain unresolved as Cronos advances.
Dânâ carried the Turkish Cypriot complaints raised in London into meetings with EU institutions, adding mixed-marriage citizenship and Schengen to the agenda. The Presidency named the officials approached but announced no commitment to change citizenship or crossing procedures. Any result will have to be measured against actual decisions on applications and travel, rather than the number of meetings held.
Fifteen new custody orders widen the criminal investigation, while Zeybekci's allegations of negligence at about six public institutions raise a separate oversight question. Ertan Aydın's house arrest is a separate court decision; none of these measures establishes criminal guilt. Prosecutors still have to prove offences, and investor repayments depend on fund assets, recoveries and individual entitlements. The arrests do not determine how much money investors will receive.
Sources: Libyan Government of National Unity, Reuters, Türkiye's Ministry of National Defense, Turkish Cypriot Presidency, Nexans, Republic of Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority and Presidency, Politis, New York State Law Reporting Bureau, Turkish and Greek Foreign Ministries, Romanian Agency for Saving Human Life at Sea, Star News, NTV, Greek Defense Ministry, Cyprus News Agency, İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Anadolu Agency, ANKA News Agency, Karar, Bosphorus News review and reporting.
Read Yesterday's brief: Eastern Mediterranean Strategic Brief | October 23, 2026: Libya Rift Widens, Ship Sinks & Mecca Pact Advances.