Yesterday, the Tripoli government in Libya signed a number of preliminary economic agreements with Turkey. This includes potential energy exploration in maritime areas.
The move was immediately rejected by the competing authorities in the East of Libya, where the parliament voiced its opposition.
Turkey and Libya sign maritime hydrocarbons deal https://t.co/lxkGn0jWoW
— Times of Malta (@TheTimesofMalta) October 4, 2022
(Breaking News) The Libyan parliament rejects hydrocarbons deal signed today between Turkey and the Libyan Government of National Unity
The #Libya Update pic.twitter.com/0e73v47Dxv
— The Libya Update (@TheLibyaUpdate) October 3, 2022
In 2019, Turkey and a former government in Tripoli agreed an “exclusive economic zone”. So far, it is unclear whether the new deal will allow exploration in that area. At the time, also Cyprus and Israel opposed this move.
When asked about the opposition of other countries, yesterday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (picture) reacted saying: “Third countries do not have the right to interfere”.
Also Greece and Egypt agreed a deal in 2020 to determine an “exclusive economic zone”, complicating the situation.
Distances between Libya and Turkey, between Libya and the Greek island of Crete, between Libya and the Greek mainland, in case one assumes that islands don’t have continental self. Numbers don’t lie. #Turkey has no business in #Libya’s maritime zone –#EEZ #Greece #MEB #UNCLOS pic.twitter.com/VoL0zVwITO
— Mike Kevrekidis (@Makis_Kevrekidi) October 4, 2022
Combustible:
🇬🇷🛢️⛽️Possible oil & gas off south coast of Crete
🇱🇾🇹🇷 #Libya's Tripoli gov't just signed deal to allow #Turkey to explore for 🛢️⛽️ in Libya's section of 2019 self-declared Tripoli-Ankara EEZ
🧨Tripoli giving Ankara 'right' to explore in #Greece's EEZ off Crete pic.twitter.com/LHWngXrD6H
— Prof. Michael Tanchum (@michaeltanchum) October 4, 2022
Copyright of Picture: By President.gov.ua, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=115883098