Libya’s House of Representatives voted unanimously on Oct. 20 to approve a 2019 maritime pact with Türkiye and repeal two earlier resolutions, drawing renewed objections from Greece over Mediterranean maritime rights.
The agreement, signed by Türkiye and Libya’s former Government of National Accord, sets out areas of maritime jurisdiction. The House said it repealed Resolution No. 1 of 2020, which rejected ratification of two memoranda with Türkiye, and Resolution No. 6 of 2020, which called for political relations with Ankara to be severed.
Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the vote. It said the maritime pact has been in force since 2019 and argued that it protects the rights and interests of both countries. The ministry said the agreement would also deepen cooperation between them.
Greece’s Foreign Ministry rejected the decision and maintained that the pact violates international maritime law. It said the proposed maritime boundary disregards Greek islands’ rights and argued that Türkiye and Libya do not have facing or adjacent coasts that would provide a legal basis for it.
Athens said it had informed its partners and allies and would take steps to protect its sovereign rights. Greece also pointed to its maritime boundary agreements with Egypt and Italy in support of its position. The Turkish and Greek ministries offered opposing assessments of the pact’s legal standing; neither announced a date for a further decision.
