Turkey’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, has stated that Ankara is keen on an offer from Tripoli to explore energy off the Libyan coast.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Bayraktar said, “Libya has invited us to conduct seismic surveys off its coast with our ships. Frankly, we are excited about this opportunity. So, we may proceed with seismic survey activities off the Libyan shores.”
Bayraktar also mentioned that Turkey is interested in other projects in Libya and is seeking the “right project and partner” for further collaboration.
In 2020, Ankara and Tripoli signed a maritime boundary agreement, which sparked disputes with Egypt and Greece. The two countries signed a preliminary deal on energy exploration, which was also opposed by Greece and Egypt.
Turkey’s former Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Ankara, along with the Tripoli-based government in Libya, were together protesting against seismic surveys and drilling that Greece was due to carry out, south of Crete, according to Greece’s Ekathimerini newspaper.
The Libyan Foreign Ministry at the time denounced Greece’s “irresponsible acts” in the Mediterranean. The Libyan Foreign Ministry claimed that Athens had contracted with some international companies to conduct gas and oil exploration in the disputed Libyan-Greek maritime borders, specifically to the south and southwest of Crete.
The Foreign Ministry stated that “it will continue to defend Libya’s maritime borders, with all possible legal and diplomatic means.”
“Greece is working hard to exploit the Libyan crisis and impose a fait accompli in defining the Libyan-Greek maritime borders,” the statement said.
Tensions rose after Libya and Turkey signed a series of economic agreements, that included potential energy exploration in maritime areas.
