The authorities of eastern Libya, one of the two parallel administrations that share power in the country, have given the green light this Tuesday to a memorandum of understanding on maritime delimitation, in a significant turn in favor of Ankara. In the same decision, they also announced the annulment of a 2020 resolution in which they proclaimed the suspension of political ties with Turkey.
The original memorandum was signed in 2019 between Turkey and the then Government of Tripoli, the rival administration recognized by the international community, through its Prime Minister, Fayez Serraj. The eastern authorities immediately rejected it as it was negotiated without their participation and, since then, they have demanded that Ankara, a regional power, recognize them as an essential political actor on the Libyan scene.
In recent months, however, Turkey has restructured its relations with the strongman of the east of the country, Khalifa Haftar, and especially with his son Saddam, commander of the eastern forces and an "emerging star" within the power structure of this administration, as highlighted by his recent meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
The current ratification, already published on the official website of the institution, is particularly relevant because Turkey and eastern Libya had been without direct political contact for years due to Ankara's support for the authorities in Tripoli. On the international stage, the move reopens an old territorial dispute that also involves Greece and Egypt, countries that have been rejecting an agreement aligned with the Turkish interpretation of maritime law for years.
Athens considers itself particularly affected because its maritime claim differs profoundly from Ankara's position, especially regarding the waters south of Crete. The Greek government maintains that the memorandum overlooks the maritime rights derived from the Greek islands and has repeatedly labeled the pact as invalid.
Nonetheless, both the Government of Tripoli and the Libyan Presidential Council have applauded the shift of the eastern authorities, as well as the normalization of relations with Ankara. For the Libyan Foreign Ministry, it represents "a positive step towards strengthening bilateral relations between Libya and Turkey, and the consolidation of joint cooperation in a way that serves the mutual interests of both countries."