Turkish media has celebrated the ratification of a controversial maritime memorandum with Libya, claiming the agreement strengthens Ankara’s position in the Eastern Mediterranean and expands its maritime boundaries.
The development follows the approval of the 2019 Turkish-Libyan maritime agreement by Libya’s eastern-based House of Representatives, prompting renewed concerns over the dispute between Greece and Turkey regarding maritime boundaries and exclusive economic zones (EEZs).
In coverage published on Wednesday, October 21, Turkish newspapers portrayed the decision as a strategic victory for Ankara, with several outlets suggesting it strengthens Turkey’s claims across the region.
Turkish Media Celebrates a Strategic Victory
Turkey’s major newspapers have presented the Libyan parliament’s decision as a significant shift in the regional balance of power.
Hurriyet described the development as a decision that could change the balance, while Yeni Safak declared that Turkey’s Blue Homeland doctrine had become stronger.
Milliyet also argued that the doctrine had been further protected.
The Blue Homeland, known in Turkish as Mavi Vatan, is a maritime doctrine underpinning Turkey’s claims to extensive areas of the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
Turkish broadcaster Haber Global went further, claiming the agreement had effectively expanded the maritime areas claimed by Turkey and Libya.
Commentators on the network argued that the two countries had strengthened their overlapping strategic interests by formally reinforcing their maritime claims.
One commentator claimed Greece could not pursue cooperation with Egypt, Israel or other Eastern Mediterranean countries without Turkish permission or cooperation.
These statements reflect Turkish media commentary, not an internationally recognised determination of maritime boundaries.
Greece rejects the 2019 agreement, arguing that it disregards the maritime rights of Greek islands, including Crete, and infringes upon Greece’s sovereign rights under international law.
Turkish Analysts Acknowledge Legal Risks
Despite the celebratory coverage, the agreement has also prompted discussion within Turkey about the legal vulnerabilities of Ankara’s position.
Ahmet Kamil Erozan, vice president of Turkey’s opposition Good Party (IYI Party), warned that Turkey’s claims could face significant difficulties if the dispute were referred to international adjudication.
Erozan pointed to Libya’s previous decisions to resolve maritime boundary disputes through international legal proceedings.
He noted that Libya had accepted International Court of Justice rulings concerning maritime delimitation disputes with Tunisia and Malta.
According to Erozan, a similar legal approach in the Turkish-Libyan dispute could expose weaknesses in Ankara’s position.
He argued that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) would become central to any proceedings before an international court.
Turkey has not signed or ratified UNCLOS, unlike Greece and many other countries.
The convention establishes a legal framework governing maritime zones, including territorial seas, exclusive economic zones and continental shelves.
Erozan cautioned that the convention’s provisions do not necessarily support Turkey’s interpretation of maritime entitlements in the Eastern Mediterranean.
He also criticised the Turkish government for occasionally advocating legal solutions to maritime disputes, including disagreements in the Aegean, despite what he described as longstanding Turkish preferences for political negotiations.
His comments highlight a potential contradiction in Ankara’s approach: while Turkey promotes the maritime memorandum as a strategic achievement, international legal proceedings could expose its claims to further scrutiny.
Turkish Intelligence Chief Visits Tripoli
The ratification has also coincided with renewed diplomatic engagement between Ankara and Libya’s internationally recognised authorities in Tripoli.
Ibrahim Kalin, head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organisation (MIT), met Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah in Tripoli, according to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency.
The discussions reportedly focused on maintaining stability in Libya and unifying the country’s competing administrations and military forces under a single authority.
Dbeibah expressed appreciation for Turkey’s role in supporting Libya’s security, while Kalin conveyed messages concerning the maritime agreement to senior Libyan figures.
These reportedly included the newly elected speaker of Libya’s House of Representatives, Salah Al-Din Al-Namroush, and Saddam Haftar, a senior figure associated with the eastern-based Libyan National Army.
The outreach is significant because Libya remains divided between rival political and military power centres.
Ankara has historically maintained close ties with authorities in western Libya, while the eastern-based House of Representatives has operated independently and is associated with forces led by Khalifa Haftar.
The eastern parliament’s approval of the memorandum therefore represents an important political development for Turkey, potentially broadening support for an agreement that Ankara has long sought to advance.
However, parliamentary ratification does not, by itself, settle the international legal dispute over the agreement’s validity or its effects on the maritime rights of third countries.
Greece Rejects the Agreement
Greece has consistently opposed the Turkish-Libyan maritime memorandum, arguing that it attempts to establish a maritime boundary that disregards the rights of Greek islands under international law.
Athens maintains that islands can generate maritime zones in accordance with the applicable rules of international law, a principle central to its objections to the agreement.
The dispute has broader implications for regional energy exploration, maritime security and cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and Israel.
The latest developments come as tensions continue over competing maritime claims and Turkey’s activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.
For Athens, the ratification adds another political dimension to a longstanding dispute. For Ankara, it offers an opportunity to present the memorandum as having wider Libyan backing.
The central question remains whether the agreement can withstand international legal scrutiny and whether its ratification will translate into any practical change in the region’s maritime boundaries.
For now, the competing interpretations underscore the continuing struggle between Greece and Turkey over maritime rights, strategic influence and access to the resources of the Eastern Mediterranean.
Source: SKAI.gr, reporting by Manolis Kostidis, and Anadolu Agency.
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