Turkish Defence Ministry to Greece and the EU: “Unilateral assessments by third parties” do not invalidate the Turkish–Libyan memorandum

Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence replied on Thursday, October 22, to the statements of the European Union and Greece on the illegal Turkish–Libyan memorandum, saying that “unilateral assessments by third parties cannot remove the legal force” of the agreement. The position was set out in the ministry’s weekly briefing, published on its official account on X.

Asked about the statements of EU and Greek representatives, the ministry answered that the 2019 memorandum was “signed on the basis of international law and the principles of equity, taking into account the legitimate rights and interests of the two countries”. “The delimitation of maritime zones falls within the sovereign rights of the coastal states concerned,” it added, saying Turkey will continue to protect its “legitimate rights and interests” in the Eastern Mediterranean. These are Turkish claims; Athens, Nicosia, Cairo and the EU reject them.

Ministry spokesman Rear Adm. Zeki Aktürk welcomed the approval of the memorandum by the Libyan House of Representatives on October 20 and thanked the Libyan officials “who showed will” for the decision. Ankara, he said, supports the goal of a “single and unified Libya” bringing the east and west of the country together. According to the ministry, the approval, together with the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement and the Bender Memorandum with Qatar, Indonesia and Pakistan, signed on October 21 in Doha, is “tangible proof” of Turkey’s influence.

The answer comes after the statement of the 27 EU member states calling the memorandum “null and void”, and after High Representative Kaja Kallas told Hakan Fidan that it violates the sovereign rights of third states. Athens has said the text “will not be implemented” and has raised the matter at the UN Security Council. Ankara had already answered Israel by speaking of “disinformation”.

Eurofighters and a Turkish ship at Volos

At the same briefing the ministry said talks on the purchase of Eurofighter Typhoons from Qatar are progressing and that Ankara expects a draft contract and a training programme from Doha. The land forces received TAYFUN Block-2 missiles and Fırtına-2 self-propelled howitzers, while the ministry’s 2027 budget is increasing. The Turkish minehunter TCG Akçakoca, serving in NATO’s Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2, is on a visit to Volos from October 21 to 23.