Turkey-Libya maritime deal remains invalid, Greek foreign minister says

Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said on Wednesday that the Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum remains invalid and will not be implemented, despite its ratification by Libya’s House of Representatives on Tuesday. Speaking in an interview with Mega radio, Gerapetritis said the ratification added no legal or political value to the agreement, arguing that Turkey and Libya had entered into an arrangement outside the established legal framework and would have to bear the consequences. “The memorandum will not be implemented under any circumstances,” he said. Outlining Athens’ next steps, Gerapetritis referred to previous statements on the issue by European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Related Articles • Reactions pour in over Turkey-Libya maritime deal • Costa, von der Leyen offer ‘solidarity’ to Greece, Cyprus after Turkey-Libya sea deal • Cyprus declares Turkey-Libya maritime agreement illegal He also pointed to Greece’s role in EU funding programmes for Libya and Turkey’s EU accession process, indicating the diplomatic leverage available to Athens. Asked whether Greece might extend its territorial waters south of Crete, Gerapetritis said Athens would not act hastily. “Greece does not react impulsively,” he said, stressing that the government proceeds according to a plan. In a joint statement following Tuesday’s ratification, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed the EU’s solidarity with Greece and Cyprus, expressing “deep regret” over the Libyan parliament’s decision. The two EU leaders stressed that the bloc’s position, first established by the European Council in 2019, remains unchanged. “The agreement infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states, does not comply with the Law of the Sea and is null and void,” they said. “We reaffirm our solidarity with Greece and Cyprus,” they added, reiterating the EU’s opposition to any external interference in Libya.