Turkey Libya Mediterranean Agreement

In October 2020, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recorded an agreement between Turkey and Libya on the delimitation of maritime jurisdictions in the Mediterranean. The agreement “has been registered with the secretariat in accordance with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations,” the registration certificate states. [5] [6] Two months earlier (August 2020), Greece and Egypt had signed another maritime agreement delimiting an exclusive economic zone for oil and gas drilling rights to counter the agreement between Turkey and Libya. [7] The dispute has left Ankara looking for allies in the region. The new agreements were signed wednesday during a meeting between Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Fayez al-Serraj, the Tripoli-based head of government who supports Ankara against a rival military power based in eastern Libya. Erdoğan`s more muscular policies play well at home; Parliament ratified the Libyan agreement almost immediately. From a technical point of view, “maritime zone notifications” are unilateral declarations of contiguous zones, EEZ borders or territorial areas of coastal States, located within maritime zones that are not connected to other neighbouring States. In contrast, “maritime borders” correspond to restrictions imposed by an agreement establishing relevant borders between States in the event of overlapping maritime areas or multiple claims to the territory. Under the new agreement, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece and Israel cannot explore or build future gas pipelines without prior permission from Turkey. Israel maintains that unilateral action does not allow Ankara to prevent the construction of a gas pipeline between the Leviathan field and Cyprus, Crete, Greece and Europe. Even the EU, often critical of Israel, agrees.

Josep Borrell, Vice-President of the European Commission, said that the agreement signed by Turkey and Libya is a violation for third countries and that it is not in line with the law of the sea. [13] The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, wanted to create a diplomatic movement to repeal the agreement between Turkey and Libya. He also said that this move would not include military options. [14] Greece opposed the UN and extorted the Libyan ambassador in response to the deal, angry at a pact that bypasses the Greek island of Crete and violates its eleven continent. [15] The agreement on the delimitation of the maritime borders between Turkey and Libya was signed on November 27 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the President of the Presidential Council of Fayiz es-Serrac. The agreement is approved by turkey`s Grand National Assembly and the United Nations will be informed of the agreement after Libya`s approval. With the Libya deal, Turkey has taken a revolutionary initiative that will historically have a great influence on the energy geopolitics of the eastern Mediterranean. The assumption that Turkey could not have an agreement with other states in the region has also proved wrong, and with the Libya deal, the doors to new agreements with Egypt, Lebanon and Israel are now open.

It also confirmed Turkey`s strong position in the game and proved that it was not possible, legally and practically, to ignore Turkey`s existence in the region. . . .