Libya's parliament approves contested maritime deal with Türkiye, angering Greece and the EU
The eastern-based House of Representatives unanimously backed the 2019 agreement it once rejected, and restored ties with Ankara. Greece and the EU say the deal ignores Crete and violates their rights.
At a glance
- Libya's House of Representatives unanimously approved the 2019 maritime boundary agreement with Türkiye on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
- Lawmakers repealed two 2020 resolutions that had rejected the deal and called for cutting political ties with Ankara.
- The memorandum, signed in Istanbul in November 2019, sets out continental-shelf and exclusive economic zone boundaries between Türkiye and Libya in the Mediterranean.
- Greece rejects the deal, saying it ignores the island of Crete; the EU criticised Libya's approval and backed Greece and Cyprus.
Libya's parliament has approved a contested maritime agreement with Türkiye, reversing years of opposition and reigniting a dispute with Greece and the European Union over Mediterranean waters. The eastern-based House of Representatives voted unanimously on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, to back the deal.
What was approved
| Agreement | Memorandum on maritime jurisdiction — continental shelf and exclusive economic zones |
| Signed | Istanbul, November 27, 2019, by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Fayez al-Sarraj |
| Approved by | Libya's House of Representatives (eastern-based), unanimously |
| Also repealed | 2020 resolutions rejecting the deal and calling for cutting ties with Türkiye |
| Earlier status | Ratified by Türkiye's parliament and registered with the United Nations |
A second 2019 memorandum, on security and military cooperation, was signed the same day and paved the way for Turkish military support to Libya's Tripoli-based government during the civil war.
Why it is controversial
The agreement draws a maritime boundary between the Turkish and Libyan coasts that ignores the Greek island of Crete, which lies between them. Greece says this violates its sovereign rights and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and it has rejected Libya's approval. The EU criticised the vote and expressed support for Greece and Cyprus. Greece and Egypt signed their own rival maritime agreement in 2020 and are coordinating their response.
A political U-turn
In 2020, the House of Representatives, then aligned with eastern commander Khalifa Haftar — whose forces fought Turkish-backed troops near Tripoli — rejected the deal and backed cutting ties with Ankara. Since then, Türkiye has steadily built relations with eastern Libyan leaders through trade, investment and diplomacy. The unanimous vote shows how far that rapprochement has gone, and strengthens the legal standing of the deal that underpins Türkiye's claims in the eastern Mediterranean.
Why it matters
- Energy: the eastern Mediterranean holds significant gas reserves, and maritime boundaries decide who can explore where.
- Tensions: disputes between Türkiye and Greece over seas and airspace have brought warships into close contact before.
- Libya: the country remains divided between rival governments in Tripoli and the east; a shared position on Türkiye could affect efforts to reunify it.
Key terms explained
- Exclusive economic zone (EEZ): a sea area up to 200 nautical miles from a country's coast where it has rights over fishing, oil and gas.
- Continental shelf: the seabed extending from a coast, where a country can exploit resources under the sea floor.
- UNCLOS: the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which Greece cites to argue that islands such as Crete generate their own maritime zones. Türkiye has not signed UNCLOS and argues that islands should not cut off a mainland coast's access to the sea.
What happens next
Greece is expected to step up diplomatic efforts in the EU and at the UN, while Türkiye is likely to press ahead with exploration plans in areas covered by the deal.
Questions people are asking
What is the Libya–Türkiye maritime deal?
A memorandum signed in Istanbul on November 27, 2019, by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Libya's then-leader Fayez al-Sarraj, setting out maritime boundaries and exclusive economic zones between the two countries in the Mediterranean.
Why does Greece oppose the Libya–Türkiye deal?
Greece says the boundary line ignores its island of Crete and cuts into waters it considers its own, affecting rights to energy exploration. The EU has backed Greece and Cyprus.
Why did Libya's eastern parliament change its position?
The House of Representatives, which rejected the deal in 2020 and backed cutting ties with Ankara, has since moved closer to Türkiye as Ankara built relations with eastern Libyan leaders. On October 20, 2026, it unanimously approved the agreement.
