What is the Turkiye-Libya maritime deal, and why are the EU, Egypt opposed?

Turkiye-Libya maritime deal sparks opposition from EU, Egypt

The full report

Libya's eastern-based parliament has backed a 2019 maritime deal with Turkiye, already signed by the internationally recognised government based in Tripoli, to delimit maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea. The vote on Tuesday came as Turkiye has been cultivating close ties in recent years with the eastern parliament, backed by renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar.

The deal, a memorandum of understanding, draws a sea border between Turkiye and Libya across the eastern Mediterranean. It was signed in Istanbul on November 27, 2019, by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Fayez al-Sarraj, then-prime minister of the UN-recognised government in Tripoli.

Egypt and the European Union have rejected the ratification of the maritime borders agreement, calling the deal “null and void”. Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the agreement “constitutes a clear infringement upon Egypt’s sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf”.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan dismissed the criticism, calling the deal “entirely legitimate”. The Tobruk-based House of Representatives voted unanimously to approve the agreement, reversing its 2020 rejection. Israel also condemned the move while Greece briefed the United Nations Security Council.