On Thursday, Türkiye’s Defense Ministry firmly rejected recent criticism from the European Union regarding its 2019 maritime delimitation memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Libya. The ministry defended the legality of the agreement and accused the EU of political bias.
In its weekly press briefing, the Defense Ministry dismissed the EU Leaders Summit’s final declaration, which challenged the legitimacy of the Libya-Türkiye MoU. Ministry officials insisted that the agreement was fully compliant with international maritime law.
“The Memorandum of Understanding on the Delimitation of Maritime Jurisdictions, signed between Libya-Türkiye in 2019, was drafted in accordance with international maritime law and based on the principle of equity to protect the interests of both nations,” the ministry stated.
Ministry officials also noted that the agreement had been formally submitted to the United Nations by both Türkiye and Libya, adding, “We categorically reject the portrayal of our MoU as ‘unlawful’ due to the unilateral political perspectives of Greece and the Greek Cypriot Administration.”
Defense Ministry sources further clarified that the maritime agreement adheres to key legal principles, including the median line principle between mainlands, the principle of non-enclosure, and equity. These legal frameworks were used to determine the boundaries outlined in the agreement.
The ministry stressed that Türkiye’s cooperation with Libya in the maritime domain would continue under the terms of the MoU, emphasizing Ankara’s commitment to maintaining and expanding this partnership.
In the same briefing, the ministry also condemned ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza, but the maritime dispute with the EU remained a central focus of their statement.
