Libya’s eastern-based parliament approved a disputed maritime deal with Türkiye on 20 October 2026. The decision reversed its earlier rejection and brought both rival Libyan administrations into agreement. Greece, Egypt and the European Union (EU) have opposed the decision, arguing that it violated other countries’ maritime rights.
The deal, officially titled Memorandum of Understanding on Delimitation of the Maritime Jurisdiction Areas in the Mediterranean, was originally signed by Türkiye and Libya’s western based parliament in Istanbul on 27 November 2019. It defines maritime boundaries between Türkiye and Libya concerning their continental shelves and exclusive economic zones. These boundaries determine claims to offshore resources, including potential oil and natural gas deposits.
The deal emerged during Libya’s political division following the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The country subsequently split between rival eastern and western administrations(*1). Türkiye signed the deal in 2019 with the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), based in western Libya. At the time, the GNA was fighting forces led by eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar. Following the deal, Türkiye sent military advisers and drones to repel Haftar’s offensive against western Libya. Amid this confrontation, the eastern parliament rejected the maritime deal and cut political ties with Türkiye in 2020.
However, relations between Türkiye and eastern Libya gradually improved through diplomatic visits, construction investments and military cooperation. In 2025, the two countries also had existing arrangements for offshore energy exploration. In July 2026, Türkiye reached agreements with Haftar’s forces concerning military facilities, surveillance systems and training programmes. On 20 October 2026, Libya’s eastern parliament voted to reverse its 2020 rejection of the maritime deal. The western Government of National Unity (GNU), which succeeded the GNA, welcomed the decision.
The approval renewed objections from neighbouring countries. Egypt said it infringed on its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. Greece argued that it disregarded maritime rights around islands such as Crete, Rhodes and Karpathos. In response to the approval, Greece and Egypt began discussing extending their 2020 maritime agreement eastwards towards Cyprus. The agreement defines maritime boundaries in areas that overlap with Türkiye’s claims.
The dispute also concerns the planned Great Sea Interconnector, a US$2.1 billion undersea electricity cable connecting Greece, Cyprus and eventually Israel. The project has faced delays over disputed waters. Israel condemned the eastern Libyan parliament’s approval of the maritime deal, accusing Türkiye of destabilising the region.
The EU also declared the deal “null and void”, arguing that it infringed on third countries’ maritime rights. Türkiye, which has not signed the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)(*2), defended the deal’s legality. The EU also called on all countries to respect the maritime rights of neighbouring states, while Türkiye maintained that the agreement protected the rights and interests of both signatories.
(*1) Libya is divided between the UN-recognised Government of National Unity (GNU), based in Tripoli and led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and the eastern-based Government of National Stability (GNS), led by Prime Minister Osama Hamad and backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.
(*2) The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), adopted in 1982 and effective since 1994, governs maritime rights, including exclusive economic zones (EEZs) extending up to 200 nautical miles. It also grants maritime rights to qualifying islands. Greece argues that the Türkiye–Libya deal ignores these rights, while Türkiye, which is not a party to UNCLOS, disputes the extent of Greek islands’ maritime claims.
Learn more about Libya→ Libya: A protracted political standoff
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