Greece Challenges Turkey-Libya Maritime Deal in Letter to UN

by · Greek City Times

Greece has formally challenged the Turkish-Libyan maritime memorandum at the United Nations, arguing that the agreement violates international law and disregards the maritime rights of Greek islands, including Crete and the Dodecanese.

The full text of Athens’ letter, submitted to the UN on October 22, has now been published.

The letter was sent by Greece’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Aglaia Balta, on the government’s instructions, two days after the maritime agreement was signed.

Read more: Greece and Allies Reject Turkey-Libya Maritime Deal as Illegal (VID)

Athens maintains that the Turkish-Libyan memorandum breaches the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and cannot create legal effects for third countries.

In her letter, Balta stressed that the agreement ignores the presence of numerous Greek islands and their entitlement to generate maritime zones beyond their territorial waters.

“It entirely disregards the presence of numerous Greek islands, including Crete and the Dodecanese islands, and their entitlements to generate maritime zones beyond the territorial sea,” she stated.

Greece also reiterated its rejection of a separate 2022 agreement between Turkey and Libya concerning hydrocarbon exploration, which Athens considers incompatible with international law.

Greece insists on peaceful resolution

Despite its strong objections, Greece reaffirmed its commitment to resolving maritime boundary disputes through diplomacy and international law.

Balta pointed to Greece’s existing maritime delimitation agreements with Italy and Egypt as examples of its approach to resolving outstanding disputes peacefully.

Athens also reserved all its legal rights in response to the Turkish-Libyan agreements.

Libya’s eastern parliament ratifies memorandum

The diplomatic dispute intensified on October 20, when Libya’s eastern-based parliament ratified the 2019 maritime memorandum with Turkey.

The decision marked a significant shift after years of opposition to the agreement from the eastern Libyan authorities, bringing them closer to the rival administration based in Tripoli.

The memorandum, originally signed by Turkey and the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord in 2019, establishes a claimed maritime boundary between the two countries that Greece has consistently rejected.

Athens argues that the arrangement disregards the maritime entitlements of Greek islands, particularly Crete, and conflicts with established principles of international maritime law.

Greece leads regional diplomatic opposition

Greece, the European Union, Cyprus, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have issued a joint declaration at the United Nations opposing the maritime delimitation agreement.

The growing diplomatic response highlights wider regional concerns over the implications of the Turkey-Libya memorandum for maritime boundaries, energy exploration and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Greece has maintained that any maritime delimitation must comply with international law, including UNCLOS, and respect the rights of all affected coastal states.

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