Turkish Foreign Ministry “welcomes” the Libyan House’s decision on the Turkish–Libyan memorandum, citing “equity” in place of UNCLOS

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry “welcomes” the decision of the Libyan House of Representatives on the Turkish–Libyan memorandum, in its statement No. 202 of Tuesday, October 20, which was also posted on its account on X. Ankara reacted officially hours after the unanimous approval in Benghazi, and after Athens, Nicosia and Brussels had already rejected the text.

“We welcome the decision adopted today (October 20) by the Libyan House of Representatives on the Memorandum of Understanding on the Delimitation of Maritime Jurisdiction Areas between Türkiye and Libya, which has been in force since 2019,” the statement says.

“Equity” instead of UNCLOS

“The said Memorandum of Understanding safeguards the mutual rights and interests of the two countries on the basis of international law and the principle of equity, and contributes to the further deepening of cooperation between Türkiye and Libya,” the Turkish ministry continues. “Türkiye will continue to work with all partners to strengthen trust, stability and peace in the Mediterranean basin, in line with its commitment to international law.”

Ankara, which has not signed the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), bases its position on “equity”, the argument it uses to dispute the full effect of islands on the continental shelf and EEZ. The wording that the memorandum has been “in force since 2019” reflects Ankara’s position that the ratification in Benghazi merely confirms an agreement already being applied. Earlier, the head of the Turkish Presidency’s communications office, Burhanettin Duran, had spoken of a “satisfying step” and of Turkey’s “rights” in the “Blue Homeland”. Those are Turkish claims; the memorandum disregards the Greek islands, including Crete, Rhodes, Karpathos and Kastellorizo.

The response of Athens and the EU

The Greek Foreign Ministry has described the memorandum “spurious, null and void”, stressing that Turkey and Libya “do not have opposite or adjacent coasts”. The presidents of the European Council and the Commission, António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen, said the agreement “does not comply with the Law of the Sea” and is “null and void”, expressing solidarity with Greece and Cyprus. The same day, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was in Brussels, where he met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and spoke at an event of the European Policy Centre.