Turkey‑Libya Maritime Deal Sparks Regional Backlash
The Trump State Department denounced the October maritime agreement between Turkey and Libya’s eastern parliament, calling it unhelpful and provocative.
The deal redraws sea borders in the eastern Mediterranean, a zone rich in gas reserves, and bypasses Libya’s UN‑recognized government in Tripoli.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the pact at the NATO summit in The Hague, where NATO members agreed to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP.
U.S. and European Officials Condemn the Agreement
A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital: “The announcement of the Turkish‑Libyan delimitation memorandum of understanding has raised tensions in the region and is unhelpful and provocative — and our position on this matter has not changed.”
The spokesperson urged all Mediterranean countries, including Greece and Turkey, to resolve disputes through good‑faith negotiations and avoid provocative behavior.
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis declared on his ministry’s website that the memorandum “produces no legal effects whatsoever, as it is entirely contrary to international law.”
Endy Zemenides, Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council, warned that the agreement “absolutely endangers the security of the U.S. and its allies,” noting that it infringes on maritime rights of Crete, NATO’s southernmost base, and harms U.S. energy interests.
The European Union reiterated that the memorandum “infringes upon the sovereign rights of third States and does not comply with the Law of the Sea; it is null and void and cannot produce any legal consequences for third States.”
Turkey Defends the Deal
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan asserted on Wednesday that the agreement “is entirely legitimate” and “not in violation of international law,” adding that there is “no need to debate it.”
Fidan dismissed critics, stating that some nations react because they have strategic problems, but reiterated that the deal is “entirely legitimate, both from a legal and a statutory perspective.”
Regional Alliances and Security Concerns
Israel condemned the deal, saying it “infringes upon the sovereign rights of our close allies in the region” and accusing Turkey of destabilizing the eastern Mediterranean.
Israel’s foreign ministry posted on X that the Libyan House of Representatives’ ratification “strongly condemns” the maritime jurisdiction memorandum.
Fox News Digital sought comments from Turkey and Libya but received no response before publication.
