Greece is preparing further diplomatic and political moves after Libya’s eastern-based parliament approved the controversial 2019 maritime agreement with Turkey, as Athens seeks to prevent the deal from being implemented and protect its maritime claims in the eastern Mediterranean.
The development has renewed tensions over competing maritime boundaries and raised questions about the future of Greek-Libyan negotiations, with Athens warning that the agreement cannot override international law or the rights of third countries.
The Greek government maintains that the Turkey-Libya memorandum is legally invalid and contrary to international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
However, Athens is concerned that Ankara and its Libyan partners could use the parliamentary approval to reinforce their positions on the ground, regardless of Greece’s objections.
Athens signals diplomatic and political countermeasures
Greece has intensified its diplomatic efforts following the vote, seeking support from European institutions and international organisations against the maritime agreement.
The European Union has criticised the memorandum, arguing that it infringes on the sovereign rights of third countries and does not comply with the law of the sea.
Athens is also signalling that its response will extend beyond diplomatic statements.
Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said Greece had the means to prevent the agreement from being implemented in practice.
He pointed to Greece’s role in regional diplomatic processes and European decision-making, including matters involving Libya’s financial arrangements, peacekeeping operations and Turkey’s ambitions to deepen its relationship with the European Union.
The remarks underline Athens’ intention to use its diplomatic position and influence within European institutions to challenge Ankara’s regional strategy.
Turkey’s EU ambitions could become a point of leverage
The European Union’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defence programme has emerged as another potential point of pressure.
Turkey has sought access to the EU’s defence cooperation framework, while Greece has argued that Ankara’s participation should be conditional on changes to its longstanding casus belli declaration against Greece.
The declaration refers to Turkey’s 1995 parliamentary decision to regard a Greek extension of its territorial waters in the Aegean Sea to 12 nautical miles as a potential cause for war.
Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had already made clear that the casus belli issue must be addressed in discussions concerning third-country participation in SAFE.
Marinakis indicated that Athens would take the latest developments into account when determining its position towards Turkey.
The approach reflects Greece’s broader effort to link Ankara’s ambitions for closer European defence cooperation with outstanding disputes between the two NATO members.
Libya’s maritime claims raise concerns for Greece
The 2019 Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum remains a major source of tension between Athens and Ankara.
The agreement established a claimed maritime boundary between Turkey and Libya, crossing an area where Greece asserts maritime rights based on its islands, including Crete.
Greece argues that the arrangement disregards the maritime entitlements of Greek islands and cannot lawfully deprive them of their rights under international law.
Turkey maintains that the agreement is valid and supports its claims in the eastern Mediterranean.
Libya’s eastern-based parliament has now approved the memorandum, although the implications for its legal status and implementation remain contested.
Athens is particularly concerned that the agreement could complicate negotiations with Libya over the delimitation of maritime zones. Greece and Libya have competing positions on the boundaries of their respective maritime claims, making any future settlement diplomatically sensitive.
The parliamentary move could strengthen Ankara’s political argument that the agreement has backing from both sides, even as Greece continues to reject its validity.
Egypt’s reaction adds another regional dime
Greece is also monitoring how the development could affect relations among other eastern Mediterranean powers, particularly Egypt.
Cairo, which has maintained close ties with the eastern Libyan authorities, has strongly opposed the ratification of the Turkey-Libya memorandum.
Egypt has its own maritime interests in the region and has previously disagreed with Turkey over competing claims and regional influence.
At the same time, Ankara and Cairo have pursued a rapprochement in recent years, creating uncertainty over how their improving relations could affect the wider dispute.
Athens will be watching closely to determine whether Egypt’s opposition to the memorandum translates into further diplomatic coordination or whether its broader relationship with Turkey limits the scope for joint action.
A wider contest over influence in the eastern Mediterranean
The dispute extends beyond the maritime agreement itself, touching on energy exploration, regional security, European defence cooperation and the balance of power across the eastern Mediterranean.
For Greece, the immediate objective is to prevent the Turkey-Libya memorandum from being used to establish maritime claims that Athens considers incompatible with international law.
The government is pursuing diplomatic support while signalling that Turkey’s relations with the European Union could become part of its response.
Much will depend on how the Libyan authorities proceed, whether the agreement is acted upon in practice and how other regional powers respond.
For now, Athens is seeking to contain the consequences of the parliamentary approval while protecting its position in a dispute that continues to shape relations between Greece, Turkey and Libya.
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