US Labels Turkey-Libya Maritime Deal Provocative

The United States Department of State has labeled the ratification of a contested maritime boundary agreement between Turkey and Libya as provocative and unconstructive. The 2019 memorandum, recently ratified by Libya's parliament, defines exclusive economic zones in the eastern Mediterranean in a manner that ignores Greek islands, including Crete.

This development has increased regional tensions and drawn condemnation from Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, and the European Union. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that the deal infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states. The shift in tone from Washington follows pressure from the Hellenic American Leadership Council and coincides with the arrival of a French survey ship in Crete to work on a power cable linking Greece and Cyprus, a project Turkey opposes.

Turkey defends the agreement as a means of protecting shared rights and interests under its Blue Homeland doctrine. Burhanettin Duran, the presidential press office director of Turkey, described the ratification as an important advancement for regional cooperation. The U.S. continues to urge all parties to resolve their differences through good-faith negotiations.