Metin Aktaşoğlu / [email protected] - In line with the steps taken by Türkiye within the framework of its strategic vision, a critical development took place in Libya that directly affected the geopolitical balances of the Eastern Mediterranean. In its session held in Benghazi, the Libyan House of Representatives unanimously approved the "Memorandum of Understanding on the Limitation of Maritime Jurisdiction Areas" signed between Türkiye and the Government of National Accord on 27 November 2019. In addition, the Parliament unanimously annulled the rejection decision dated 2020, which was previously cited as a reason for not approving the agreement. With this move, Libya's two rival political centers officially embraced the maritime neighborhood and cooperation law established with Türkiye. Defense Policy Analyst Turan Oğuz evaluated the importance and potential repercussions of the decision, which had wide repercussions in the region and in the international arena, for Milliyet.com.tr readers.
As a reminder, the "Memorandum of Understanding on the Limitation of Maritime Jurisdiction Areas" between Turkey and Libya was signed in Istanbul on November 27, 2019, between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the then President of the Libyan Government of National Accord Fayiz es-Serrac, and after the approval of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, it was published in the Official Gazette and entered into force. Within the scope of the agreement, maritime jurisdictions between the two countries are determined on an 18.6-mile border line, while the regulation includes continental shelf and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) delimitation. For Türkiye, this agreement was the second maritime jurisdiction limitation in the region, following the continental shelf agreement signed with the TRNC in 2011.
Regarding the importance of the agreement, Turan Oğuz described it as "a critical turning point" and said, "With this agreement, Turkey received support from both rival administrations in Libya and further strengthened its international legitimacy. In particular, the unfounded objections from Greece and the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus (GCASC) saying that it is 'invalid because there is no parliamentary approval' lose their legal basis with these steps. Similarly, the guidance of the EU and relevant circles is also invalidated by these decisions." speaking.
Oğuz commented, "This agreement is a strategic move that reinforces Turkey's Blue Homeland doctrine and strategic stance in the field," and conveys the importance of the decision in terms of regional balances as follows:
"Although Libya's eastern-centered government is shown among Israel's friends on the map that is the last agenda shown by Netanyahu, the strengthening of relations with Turkey throughout Libya turns the balance in favor of Turkey. On the other hand, while Egypt is carrying out some joint projects with the eastern government of Libya, Turkey's gaining presence and power in the region is not actually welcomed by the Cairo administration. Despite this, these steps are a great diplomatic success in Türkiye's relations with both Libya and regional actors."
"When signing this agreement, Turkey relied on the adequacy of the legal and political arguments it had and demonstrated the will to carry out this process with determination, regardless of the attitude of Haftar or any other actor. In other words, whether the Haftar administration wanted it or not, Ankara had the will to carry out this process with determination," said Oğuz, emphasizing that "Achieving bilateral compromises in a way eased the process by preventing undesirable hot conflicts in the field."
In addition, Turan Oğuz underlines that with this agreement, the Turkish Armed Forces will gain operational flexibility in matters such as anti-submarine warfare in the Eastern Mediterranean, UAV/SIHA patrols and Navtex announcements:
"The activities previously concentrated in Western Libya and the training activities initiated in the Eastern side will gain greater operational flexibility after this agreement. Turkey's 'one Libya' motto both contributes to Libya's national unity by bringing both wings of the country closer together and coincides with Türkiye's strategic goals."
Finally, to underline again, the Türkiye-Libya agreement continues to be one of the important topics of maritime jurisdiction discussions in the Eastern Mediterranean since the day it was signed. Greece opposes the agreement, arguing that it violates its exclusive economic zone. In fact, it was stated that Greek Foreign Minister Gerapetritis went to Benghazi this month and met with Khalifa Haftar in order to prevent or at least postpone the approval process. In addition, Egypt is among the countries that announced that they will not recognize the agreement. The Cairo administration signed its maritime jurisdiction agreement with Greece in 2020.
The EU, on the other hand, claims that the agreement violates the sovereign rights of third countries and maintains that the agreement does not produce legal consequences for these countries. As a result, the approval of the Libyan House of Representatives is important not only in terms of political debates within the country, but also in terms of objections to the maritime jurisdiction agreement between Türkiye and Libya. However, it should be noted that this development does not automatically mean that the legal objections of the countries opposing the agreement are eliminated.
