Libya's eastern parliament drops objection to Turkiye maritime deal
The ratification revives a dispute over a potentially gas-rich stretch of the eastern Mediterranean, with Greece, Cyprus and Egypt objecting.
At a glance
- Libya's eastern parliament has withdrawn its objection to a Mediterranean maritime boundaries agreement with Turkiye.
- The deal was signed seven years ago by Libya's internationally recognised Government of National Unity.
- Greece, Cyprus and Egypt object, saying their sovereign rights are being ignored; Athens went to the UN Security Council.
Libya's eastern parliament has walked back its objection to an agreement with Turkiye that demarcates boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea, reviving a simmering dispute over a potentially gas-rich region.
The deal was signed seven years ago by the rival administration in Libya, the internationally recognised Government of National Unity. The eastern parliament's move to allow the agreement through has drawn swift objections from Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, which say Libya and Turkiye are ignoring their sovereign rights. Athens has referred the issue to the UN Security Council.
What the deal covers
The agreement sets out maritime boundaries between Libya and Turkiye in the Mediterranean. According to Al Jazeera, the area in question is potentially gas-rich, which is central to why the ratification has revived a dispute that had been simmering for years between the two signatories and their regional neighbours.
Who objects, and why
Greece, Cyprus and Egypt were quick to object after the eastern parliament stepped back from its opposition. Their stated position is that the two countries are disregarding their sovereign rights in the eastern Mediterranean. Greece has taken the matter to the UN Security Council, raising the prospect of a further diplomatic push at the international level.
Competing authorities in Libya
The ratification also highlights the split in Libyan authority. The Government of National Unity, which is internationally recognised, signed the agreement, while the eastern parliament had previously objected to it. The eastern parliament has now withdrawn that objection. Neither side's position is described by the source as a resolution of the wider dispute, which remains live.
Geopolitical questions
The development raises questions about the geopolitical implications of the deal in the eastern Mediterranean, an issue examined on Al Jazeera's Inside Story programme with three guests: Sinan Ulgen, chairman of the Centre for Economic and Foreign Policy Studies; Maria Gavouneli, professor of international law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; and Tarek Megerisi, director of Informmi, a geopolitical research and advisory firm.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- What is the Libya-Turkiye maritime deal?
- It is an agreement that demarcates boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea. It was signed seven years ago by Libya's internationally recognised Government of National Unity, and Libya's eastern parliament has now withdrawn its objection to it.
- Why are Greece, Cyprus and Egypt objecting?
- They say Libya and Turkiye are ignoring their sovereign rights. Greece has referred the issue to the UN Security Council, and the ratification has revived a dispute over a potentially gas-rich region.
- Why does the agreement matter for Libya?
- The deal was signed by one of Libya's rival administrations, the Government of National Unity, while the eastern parliament had objected before walking that objection back, highlighting the country's split authorities.
