Turkish daily: Greece urges Egypt to block Libya-Türkiye maritime deal

Greece is reportedly preparing to request Egypt’s assistance to block eastern Libya, controlled by forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar, from endorsing a maritime jurisdiction agreement with Türkiye.

According to the Turkish newspaper Star, recent media reports indicate that the issue of ratifying the maritime jurisdiction deal, signed between Türkiye and Libya’s UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in 2019, has resurfaced, Caliber.Az reports.

The agreement is now reportedly on the agenda of Libya’s eastern-based House of Representatives in Tobruk, under Haftar’s control — a development that has caused deep concern in Athens.

Sources say a Greek official is expected to meet with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on June 18 to discuss a Mediterranean regional report.

Should the Libyan government appointed by the Tobruk parliament and led by Prime Minister Osama Hammad, backed by Haftar, ratify the maritime deal with Türkiye, it could significantly shift the balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The report emphasises that the region holds strategic importance due to its natural gas reserves. If the Tobruk-based administration ratifies the Turkish-Libyan agreement, it would represent a major diplomatic victory for Ankara in expanding its influence in the Mediterranean.

It further states that such a move would align all Libyan factions with Türkiye’s position. The report also notes that support from eastern Libya’s government would directly conflict with the maritime agreement signed between Egypt and Greece in 2020, deepening Athens’ concerns.

The report underlines that Haftar and his allies are actively working to strengthen ties with Turkish authorities, and that any formal decision in favour of the maritime agreement could drastically alter the regional power dynamics.

Finally, it highlights that many Eastern Mediterranean countries have competing interests when it comes to defining maritime borders and exploiting offshore gas reserves — and that Türkiye has made significant strides in this arena compared to its regional rivals.