Libya Ratifies Turkish Sea Pact, Threatening EastMed Pipeline
The unanimous vote creates a direct economic link worth hundreds of billions of dollars while challenging Greece's maritime claims.
By Kevin Iyer ·
Libyan lawmakers voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve a maritime agreement with Turkey. The vote establishes a direct economic corridor between the two nations' coasts. This move directly challenges Greece's position in the eastern Mediterranean.
The corridor connects Turkey's southern coast to Libya's northern coast. Recent surveys indicate that large oil and gas deposits exist in this area. Estimates suggest the natural gas reserves could be worth several hundred billion US dollars. Ankara and Tripoli intend to secure their economic rights to these resources and develop them jointly.
Greece objects to the route because it bypasses several of its islands. The islands of Crete, Karpathos, and Rhodes fall within the claimed path. Athens maintains that these islands hold a comprehensive exclusive economic zone. Greece's Foreign Ministry stated on social media that it firmly rejects the accord. The ministry noted that the European Union considers the memorandum null and void because it violates the sovereign rights of third states.
Kaja Kallas, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, echoed this sentiment. She wrote that the Libyan vote infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states. The EU position holds that the agreement is inconsistent with the Law of the Sea.
The dispute centers on the legal interpretation of island rights under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Article 121 of the convention grants inhabited islands that support an economic life the same zone rights as mainland territory. Greece argues this provision covers Crete, Rhodes, and Lesbos. Athens also cites a 2022 International Court of Justice ruling involving Colombia and Nicaragua. That ruling stated that overlapping interests require a fair demarcation based on coastlines and geography.
Turkey contends that Mediterranean geography requires special consideration. Ankara argues that if every small Greek island received a full exclusive economic zone, Turkey would be largely cut off from the open sea. Turkey has never signed the convention and does not accept arbitration by a UN tribunal. Legal experts remain divided on what constitutes a fair division of the waters.
The political landscape in Libya has changed since the original 2019 agreement. That deal was struck with the UN-recognized Government of National Accord in the west while the eastern government opposed it. Turkey has since built a relationship with the eastern camp led by General Khalifa Hifter. Turkish firms have won billions of dollars in reconstruction contracts. The state oil company TPAO is conducting seismic surveys with Libya's National Oil Corporation.
The new corridor also poses a direct threat to the EastMed pipeline project. This planned route is designed to carry gas from Israel and Cyprus through Greece to the EU. The new Turkish-Libyan corridor cuts across the proposed pipeline route. Turkey has argued that it must consent to any cable or pipeline projects on its claimed continental shelf. The region risks splitting into two blocs: one led by Turkey and Libya, and another supported by the EU, Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, and Israel.
