Greek-Turkish Relations
Ankara hits back at Israel over the Turkish–Libyan memorandum: its “disinformation” office calls the charge of destabilising the Eastern Mediterranean “clear disinformation”
The Turkish Presidency’s Center for Combating Disinformation called Israel’s statement that Turkey is destabilising the Eastern Mediterranean “clear disinformation”, posting the Israeli statement crossed out with a red X. Athens, Nicosia, Cairo and the EU have all rejected the memorandum’s ratification.
Ankara has answered Israel over the illegal Turkish–Libyan memorandum. On Wednesday, October 21, the Center for Combating Disinformation (DMM) of the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate called “clear disinformation aimed at manipulating public opinion” the statements that Turkey is destabilising the Eastern Mediterranean through its agreement with Libya. In its post, the DMM published the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s statement crossed out with a big red X. The DMM belongs to the Presidency’s Communications Directorate and regularly issues such “denials” on Turkish foreign policy issues.
“This agreement, signed by two sovereign states to protect their legitimate rights, went through the approval procedures of the contracting countries and entered fully into force in accordance with international law and the principles of equity,” the Turkish statement claims.
The DMM accuses, without naming them, “centres” that “are trying to turn the Eastern Mediterranean into a field of conflict” and “carry out illegal actions in maritime zones to which they are not parties”. The fact that they target Turkey, it writes, “is an attempt to cover up their own violations”. The statement concludes that Turkey “is always in favour of peace, stability and equity” and asks that no credence be given to the “baseless claims of those who trample every law and rule in the region”.
The Israeli post that the DMM crossed out condemned “strongly” the Libyan House’s approval of the memorandum. “This agreement violates the sovereign rights of our close allies in the region. Unfortunately, once again we see Türkiye working to destabilise the Eastern Mediterranean,” the Israeli statement said.
The Turkish reply comes on the same day that EU High Representative Kaja Kallas told Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan that the memorandum violates the sovereign rights of third states, and after Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and the EU rejected the ratification in Benghazi. Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said the memorandum “will not be implemented” and that Greece will extend its territorial waters “in the manner and at the time it chooses”. Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had described the ratification as “extremely pleasant news from Libya”.