Libya approves maritime border deal with Turkey, sparking Greek condemnation

Libya’s eastern parliament approves a maritime boundaries deal with Turkey, drawing swift condemnation from Greece, which calls it a violation of international law.

The deal is part of a years-old dispute over competing claims to sea borders and energy exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

It was originally agreed in 2019 by Libya’s internationally recognized government in Tripoli in the west, but the rival eastern administration under military commander Khalifa Haftar had withheld its approval for years.

Greece, Egypt and Cyprus have long been opposed to the deal, which they see as infringing on their own maritime claims.

In a foreign ministry statement, Athens says the deal “remains illegal, null and void, contravenes international law of the sea, and infringes upon the sovereign rights of states in the region.”

Turkey’s foreign ministry welcomes the Libyan parliament’s decision, saying the agreement respects the mutual rights and interests of both countries under international law and the principles of equity.