Israel criticized Libya’s eastern parliament after it approved a maritime pact with Türkiye, as Greece and the European Union disputed the agreement’s reach beyond the two countries.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in a post reproduced by The Times of Israel that the decision infringed on the rights of its “close allies,” without identifying them.
Libya’s House of Representatives voted unanimously on Oct. 20 to approve the 2019 memorandum. It also repealed two 2020 decisions: one rejecting ratification of two memorandums with Türkiye and another severing political relations with Ankara.
The United Nations Treaty Collection records that the memorandum entered into force on Dec. 8, 2019, and was registered by Türkiye three days later. It sets out maritime boundaries for the countries’ continental shelves and exclusive economic zones in the Mediterranean. Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the vote, saying the agreement had been in force since 2019 and safeguarded the countries’ shared interests. Anadolu Ajansı reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also welcomed the decision at a party meeting on Oct. 21, calling the news “extremely pleasing.”
The National reported that Libya has rival administrations based in Tripoli and Benghazi, and that the western government concluded the pact. The outlet also reported that offshore energy exploration has contributed to regional tensions.
Greece said the vote did not change its position that the pact is illegal. Its Foreign Ministry argued that Türkiye and Libya lack opposite or adjacent coasts that would provide a legal basis for the boundary, and said the agreement disregards Greek islands’ maritime rights. Greece said it would take appropriate action to protect its sovereign rights but gave no timing.
An EU statement issued Oct. 21 said the memorandum infringes on the sovereign rights of third states, conflicts with the law of the sea and cannot produce legal consequences for them. The U.N. record confirms the pact’s 2019 entry into force but does not establish what legal effect the House’s 2026 vote has on other states.
