Greece Challenges Turkey-Libya Maritime Deal at UN Security Council
Greece raised concerns at the UN Security Council after Libya's House of Representatives ratified a contested maritime deal with Turkey that ignores the island of Crete.
The Government of Greece raised the ratification of a contested maritime deal between Turkey and Libya at the UN Security Council, warning that the agreement threatens security and stability in the eastern Mediterranean. The 2019 memorandum, signed by Turkey and Libya's internationally recognized government in Tripoli, establishes a maritime boundary that ignores the Greek island of Crete.
Libya's House of Representatives, based in the east and aligned with military commander Khalifa Haftar, ratified the deal on Tuesday after years of opposition. The European Union, Egypt, and Israel have rejected the pact. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated the agreement "infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states."
Athens maintains the ratification has no legal effect and intends to protect its sovereign rights. This diplomatic clash occurs as Greece prepares to resume seabed surveys for an undersea power cable to Cyprus, a project Turkey contests by citing the Libya deal.
