Libya-EU Tensions: Eastern Parliament Ratifies Sea Deal With Turkey

Libya's eastern parliament voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve a maritime agreement with Turkey. The measure establishes a direct economic corridor connecting the two nations' coastlines. This formal ratification reverses the position held by eastern lawmakers in 2019.

The agreement grants joint exploitation rights to natural gas reserves estimated at several hundred billion US dollars. These deposits lie beneath the seabed in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey and the Government of National Accord first negotiated the corridor in 2019. The eastern government, led by General Khalifa Hifter, initially opposed the deal during the civil war.

The planned route links Turkey's southern coast to Libya's northern coast. It passes near Greek islands including Crete, Karpathos, and Rhodes. Athens maintains that these inhabited islands possess their own exclusive economic zones. The Greek Foreign Ministry stated that it firmly rejects the accord with the backing of the European Union.

The EU has called the memorandum null and void. Officials argue it violates the sovereign rights of third states and conflicts with the Law of the Sea. Kaja Kallas, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs, confirmed she raised the issue. She noted that the vote infringes upon the rights of other nations in the region.

The legal dispute centers on the interpretation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Greece cites Article 121, which grants inhabited islands the same maritime rights as mainland territory. Turkey argues that geography dictates a different boundary. Ankara contends that full exclusivity for small Greek islands would cut Turkey off from the open sea. Turkey has not signed the convention and does not accept arbitration by a UN tribunal.

Political dynamics in Libya have shifted since the 2019 conflict. Turkey intervened militarily to support the western government against an eastern offensive. Since then, Ankara has pursued a rapprochement with the east. Turkish firms have secured reconstruction contracts worth billions. The state oil company TPAO is conducting seismic surveys with Libya's National Oil Corporation. Turkey also supplies weapons and training to Hifter's forces to counter Egyptian and Russian influence.

The new corridor challenges the planned EastMed pipeline. This project aims to transport gas from Israel and Cyprus through Greece to Europe. Turkey asserts that pipeline projects on its claimed continental shelf require its consent. The region may now split into two distinct blocs. One axis will align Turkey with Libya, while the other will group Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, and Israel under EU support.