The response followed an October 20 vote by the eastern based Libyan legislature to endorse the agreement it had previously opposed. Turkey welcomed the reversal and defended the memorandum as consistent with international law and the principle of equity.
The document dates to 2019. This week’s development is a change in the Libyan parliament’s position, followed by renewed diplomatic objections over competing maritime claims in the eastern Mediterranean.
Libya’s Parliament Reverses Its Earlier Position
In its official announcement, the House said it had unanimously approved the memorandum signed by Turkey and Libya’s former Government of National Accord on maritime jurisdiction in the Mediterranean. The announcement did not provide a numerical vote tally.
The legislature also said it had revoked two decisions from 2020: one rejecting approval of the memoranda concluded with Turkey, and another concerning the severing of political relations with Ankara. The vote therefore revises earlier parliamentary decisions as well as endorsing the maritime document.
The distinction matters in a country with rival eastern and western administrations. The original agreement was concluded by the Tripoli based Government of National Accord; the latest approval came from the eastern based House.
Why Israel and Its Regional Partners Object
Israel’s ministry said the memorandum violates the rights of its regional allies and accused Turkey of destabilizing the eastern Mediterranean. Those are Israel’s stated legal and diplomatic assessments.
Greece, Cyprus and Egypt have long opposed the maritime arrangement. Their objections concern claims to offshore areas and associated rights, including energy exploration. The parliamentary reversal has revived that dispute without settling the competing positions.
The European Council set out its objection in December 2019, saying the memorandum infringed third states’ sovereign rights, did not comply with the law of the sea and could not produce legal consequences for third states. That is the Council’s recorded position from 2019, rather than a new European ruling this week.
Ankara takes the opposite view. Its Foreign Ministry said the memorandum safeguards the mutual rights and interests of Turkey and Libya and deepens their cooperation.
An Existing Agreement, With Disputed Consequences
The UN treaty record lists November 27, 2019, as the signing date, December 8 as entry into force and December 11 as registration. UN registration records the instrument; it does not establish UN approval of the maritime claims.
The latest vote and statements do not establish an immediate change to shipping access, energy production or electricity cable work. Any such consequence would require separate evidence about the project or operation concerned.
The dispute adds context to Israel’s ties with Greece and Cyprus, including recent parliamentary cooperation. The proposed regional electricity connection is covered separately in our report on the Great Sea Interconnector survey request.
