Summary:

On 29 October 2026, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis criticized the recent ratification of the 2019 Türkiye-Libya maritime delimitation memorandum by Libya’s eastern-based House of Representatives, speaking during a high-level UN Security Council debate on maritime security in New York. 

He described the agreement as illegal and arbitrary, arguing that Türkiye and Libya do not have opposite or adjacent coastlines and that the proposed maritime boundary disregards the rights of Greek islands, including Crete and Rhodes. He also stressed that no bilateral agreement could override international law or undermine the sovereign rights of third countries. 

The remarks followed the eastern parliament’s 20 October decision to approve the memorandum, which had previously been rejected by eastern Libyan authorities. The move drew strong criticism from Greece and Cyprus, with the two countries joining the EU, Egypt, Bahrain and the UAE in a joint declaration opposing the agreement on 26 October. 

Outlook: 

While the agreement offers mutual benefits for Türkiye and the Haftar family, it also risks further complicating Libya’s relations with Greece and Cyprus. Ankara stands to reinforce its maritime claims and strengthen its ties with eastern Libya, while the Haftar camp could gain access to Turkish military expertise, equipment and investment, alongside greater diplomatic leverage. 

This could also serve Saddam Haftar, whose growing role in the eastern military establishment and political ambitions make closer ties with Ankara particularly valuable. The eastern parliament’s endorsement adds another obstacle to resolving the maritime dispute through direct negotiations between Greece and Libya, risking a more persistent source of diplomatic tension between the two governments. 

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