Greece, Egypt seek to extend maritime deal eastward amid Türkiye-Libya pact

ATHENS

A Turkish naval officer uses binoculars to observe from aboard one of two military ships sailing in the Mediterranean Sea, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo)

Greece and Egypt have agreed in principle to launch negotiations on extending their exclusive economic zone (EEZ) agreement eastward, responding to Libya’s ratification of a maritime jurisdiction deal with Türkiye.

The decision was reached during a phone call between Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty late on Oct. 22.

Libya’s eastern-based House of Representatives unanimously approved the 2019 maritime agreement with Türkiye on Oct. 20, reversing its previous rejection of the deal.

Ankara welcomed the decision, with the Turkish Foreign Ministry saying the agreement was based on international law and equity and safeguarded the rights and interests of both countries.

Signed in August 2020 after years of negotiations, the Greek-Egyptian EEZ agreement delineated maritime zones between the 26th and 28th meridians, shortly after Türkiye and Libya signed their own maritime memorandum in 2019.

The proposed extension would cover waters east of the 28th meridian, which runs past the Greek island of Rhodes, including areas near the island of Kastellorizo (Meis), close to Türkiye’s southern coast.

Citing diplomatic sources, Greek media reported that Cairo had previously been reluctant to extend the maritime boundaries farther east to avoid provoking Türkiye.

The existing agreement reflects Athens and Cairo’s position that islands should have an effect on maritime delimitation, a principle they argue is not reflected in the Türkiye-Libya deal.

The two governments aim to advance negotiations to signal their position to Türkiye and Libya amid unresolved maritime disputes in the eastern Mediterranean. Technical-level consultations are expected to begin in the coming period, according to the report.

Athens has also said it would raise possible sanctions against Libya and Türkiye, along with their implications, at the European Union and United Nations, stressing the importance of a unified response from the bloc and its member states.

On Oct. 21, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hailed the decision by the Libyan parliament.

“This is a success for Turkish diplomacy,” Fidan said during his Brussels visit, crediting the outcome to the foreign policy pursued under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Fidan said Turkish legal advisers viewed the parliamentary decision as an act of acceptance rather than ratification, since the agreement was already in force.