and the Government of National Accord have signed a Maritime Boundary Treaty in order to establish an Exclusive economic zone in the Mediterranean Sea, which means that they can claim rights to ocean bed resources. According to the list of maritime boundary treaties, this is the first agreement ever to be signed between the two countries, hence it introduces a new dynamic to the eastern region of the Mediterranean Sea. However, fears are expressed that the agreement may fuel an "energy showdown" in this region, because it is highly contentious. The legitimacy and the legal consequences of the accord have been disputed by a number of states in the region, as well as by the European Union. According to the European Union, the agreement "infringes upon the sovereign rights of third States, does not comply with the Law of the Sea and cannot produce any legal consequences for third states". Both Cyprus and Egypt have dismissed the deal as "illegal", while Greece regards it as "void" and "geographically absurd", because it ignores the presence of the islands of Crete, Kasos, Karpathos, Kastellorizo and Rhodes between the Turkish–Libyan coasts.
Turkish–Libyan position
According to the Turkish NewspaperDaily Sabah, the new agreement consists of the establishment of 200 Nautical miles of EEZ, and an establishment of 18.6 nautical miles of Continental shelf. The Turkish position, according to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is that it is protecting its sovereign rights to the Blue economy and defending their legal claims to the disputed territory in the Mediterranean. Also, according to Anadolu Agency, EEZ boundaries' legality in the Mediterranean should be determined by continental shelves and mainland countries, rather than island based calculations. In Libya, the signing of the memorandum was met with varying responses: it was applauded by the supporters of the Government of National Accord, but rejected by supporters of both Khalifa Haftar and the House of Parliament based in Tobruk. Ahmad Al Mismari, the official spokesman of Haftar's forces, rejected the agreement and warned that “military force will be deployed to prevent any violation of Libyan sovereignty”. Members of the Tobruk Parliament expressed similar sentiments, while its president, Aguila Saleh Issa, sent a letter to UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, describing the deal as "null and void". Saleh argued that the agreement should be ratified by the Tobruk Parliament, and that "Libya and Turkey do not have common maritime boundaries".
EU and other opposing positions
Vice PresidentJosep Borrell stated that the agreement signed by Turkey and Libya creates an infringement for third states, and does not comply with the Law of the sea. The president of The Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades aimed to create a diplomatic movement in order to nullify the Libyan-Turkish agreement. He has also stated that this movement would not include military options. Greece lodged objections to the UN and expelled the Libyan ambassador in response to the deal, infuriated at a pact which skirts the Greek island of Crete and infringes, its continental shelf. The Israeli perspective offered by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs comments that the deal does not give sovereignty over the claimed waters to Turkey and Libya. Furthermore, it states that the third states were kept in the dark regarding the Libyan-Turkish agreement, hence leading to questions regarding its legitimacy. In a Joint Declaration issued on 11 May 2020, Greece, Cyprus, Egypt joined by France and the United Arab Emirates denounced the deal, arguing that it "cannot produce any legal consequences for third States", as it infringes upon the sovereign rights of Greece, and does not comply with the Law of the Sea. Turkey called the Joint Statement hypocritical by "a group of countries who are seeking regional chaos and instability".
Consequences
Following the agreement, Turkey and Libya's UN recognised government have seen an increase in co-operation. This cooperation ranges from Turkish off shore exploration efforts, to providing aid for the Government of National Accord, for the currently ongoing Libyan Civil War. As the issues arising due to the dispute are still developing, the full consequences of this maritime dispute is yet to be seen.
