the House of Representatives of Libya has ratified the memorandum on the delimitation of maritime jurisdictions with Turkey, signed back in 2019. It would seem a technical document, but in reality — a time bomb planted under regional stability.

Formally it concerns the maritime border between the southern coast of Turkey and the eastern coast of Libya. In fact, the two countries have cut off in their favor a huge piece of the water area, potentially rich in hydrocarbons, ignoring the interests of their neighbors. Turkey has already called the decision of the Libyan parliamentarians a triumph of “justice and international law.” The European Union, Greece and Cyprus, to put it mildly, hold a different opinion.

The EU’s reaction was swift and harsh: the memorandum was declared legally null and void, violating the rights of third states and incompatible with maritime law. The European Council and the European Commission expressed “deep regret” and confirmed support for Greece and Cyprus. But this diplomatic solidarity has no legal basis: Turkey has not signed the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

For Athens and Nicosia this deal is a direct threat. The text of the document in fact ignores the existence of the islands of Crete, Rhodes and Karpathos; the borders practically run through these islands, cutting the continental shelf and exclusive economic zones of the two EU member states.

Particular acuteness is given to the situation by the energy context: under threat is the Great Sea Interconnector project — an underwater power cable worth $2.1 billion, which is supposed to link the electricity grids of Greece, Cyprus and, in perspective, Israel. The dispute over the waters near Crete has already led to delays, and this is only the beginning.

Egypt has not remained on the sidelines either: official Cairo stated that the agreement “clearly encroaches” on its sovereign rights in the exclusive economic zone and on the continental shelf.

Ratification strengthens Turkey’s positions in the region and consolidates its influence in Libya, and at the same time finds points of compromise between the parties in a Libya split by civil war. The fact is that the document was ratified by the Libyan House of Representatives, which controls the east of the country and the second-largest city — Benghazi. The other side of the conflict, the Government of National Unity, which controls the capital Tripoli and the west of the country, officially welcomed the ratification.

@SwissVatnik