Libya’s Eastern Parliament Ratifies Maritime Deal with Turkey, Igniting Diplomatic Storm with Greece

Libya’s eastern-based parliament approved a long-contested maritime boundary agreement with Turkey on Tuesday, triggering immediate condemnation from Greece, which denounced the accord as a flagrant violation of international law.

The ratification revives a years-old dispute over competing claims to maritime borders and hydrocarbon exploration rights in the Eastern Mediterranean. The memorandum of understanding was originally signed in 2019 by the internationally recognized Government of National Unity in Tripoli, but the rival eastern administration—aligned with military commander Khalifa Haftar—had withheld its endorsement for years.

Greece, Egypt, and Cyprus have consistently opposed the deal, arguing it infringes upon their own maritime entitlements. In a sharply worded statement, the Greek Foreign Ministry declared the agreement “illegal, null and void,” asserting it contravenes the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and violates the sovereign rights of regional states. Athens urged the Libyan side to refrain from any actions that undermine stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Ankara, conversely, welcomed the parliamentary vote. The Turkish Foreign Ministry stated the agreement respects the mutual rights and interests of both nations under international law and pledged to continue working with partners to ensure security and stability across the Mediterranean basin.

The ratification deepens an existing geopolitical fault line. In 2020, Athens and Cairo signed a countervailing deal designating an Exclusive Economic Zone in the same waters, an accord Ankara rejects. Tensions flared again last year when Greece approved hydrocarbon exploration for a consortium led by Chevron south of Crete, a move Turkey condemned as unlawful.

Thawing Ties Between Benghazi and Ankara

Libya has been split between rival eastern and western administrations since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi. Turkish military support proved decisive in repelling an offensive by Haftar’s forces on Tripoli in 2019 and 2020.

Since that conflict, relations between Ankara and the eastern administration have steadily improved. Turkish officials have become frequent visitors to Benghazi—Haftar’s de facto capital—and Turkish firms have invested heavily in the region’s construction and infrastructure sectors.

In the same session, the eastern parliament also reversed a 2020 decision to sever political ties with Ankara, signaling a comprehensive diplomatic reset.

The vote represents a “complete reversal” that “reveals the depth of the relationship between Ankara and Benghazi today,” according to Anas El Gomati, director of the Sadeq Institute, a Libya-focused think tank. He noted the decision was facilitated by the recent replacement of long-serving Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh—widely viewed as an ally of Egypt—with a leadership more amenable to Turkish engagement.

Saddam Haftar, the commander’s son and deputy, praised the ratification, describing the deal as a mechanism to safeguard Libya’s rights and economic interests in the Mediterranean. Lawmaker Tarek al-Jeroushi echoed that sentiment, telling Reuters the agreement bolsters Libya’s standing as a strategic political, military, and economic partner to major powers. “Some countries may be upset by this agreement, but what matters to us is our national interest,” he said.

Jalel Harchaoui, a fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, characterized the ratification as a watershed moment that could pave the way for an expanded Turkish military presence in eastern Libya.

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