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Greece Rejects Libya Parliament Approval of Contested Turkiye Maritime Deal
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News18•21-10-2026, 02:30
Greece Rejects Libya Parliament Approval of Contested Turkiye Maritime Deal
- •Libya's eastern-based parliament unanimously approved a contested 2019 maritime agreement with Turkiye.
- •Greece and Cyprus swiftly condemned the vote, calling the memorandum illegal, invalid, and a violation of sovereign rights.
- •The agreement defines maritime jurisdictions in the eastern Mediterranean, a region rich in natural gas reserves.
- •Egypt also opposes the deal, having previously signed a counter-agreement with Greece in response.
- •Officials in both western and eastern Libyan factions welcomed the vote as a step toward stronger ties with Turkiye.
Key Questions Answered
Greece rejected the vote because it considers the memorandum illegal, invalid, and groundless. The Greek Foreign Ministry stated that Turkiye and Libya lack opposite or adjacent coasts to legally delimit maritime zones, and the agreement ignores the rights of Greek islands.
Libya's eastern-based parliament repealed two resolutions passed in 2020. One of the repealed resolutions had rejected agreements with Turkiye, while the other had cut all political ties with Ankara.
Cyprus condemned the vote by calling the memorandum illegal, null, and void. Egypt, which is a longtime backer of Haftar and previously signed its own maritime agreement with Athens in August 2020, also rejected the accord.
