Libya's eastern parliament approves contentious maritime deal with Turkey

Libya's eastern-based parliament unanimously approved a contentious 2019 maritime boundary agreement with Turkey on October 20, 2026, reversing years of opposition and signaling internal political alignment between Tripoli and eastern factions. The decision re-ignited eastern Mediterranean territorial disputes over natural gas resources, drawing immediate condemnation from Greece and Cyprus, which declared the memorandum illegal and void. The vote also creates diplomatic tension for Egypt, whose eastern Libyan allies now endorse a deal Cairo strongly opposes.

Libyan parliament approves Turkish agreement

• ▪Libya's House of Representatives repealed two 2020 resolutions that rejected agreements with Turkey and severed political ties with Ankara, according to parliamentary spokesman Abdullah Bliheg
• ▪Libya's eastern-based House of Representatives unanimously voted on October 20, 2026 to adopt the 2019 maritime memorandum of understanding signed with Turkey by Libya's then-government, the Government of National Accord, reversing years of parliamentary opposition

Libyan factions welcome the vote

• ▪The Foreign Ministry of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah's Tripoli-based Libyan government called the October 20, 2026 vote on the 2019 maritime memorandum a positive development for relations with Turkey
• ▪Saddam Haftar, son of military commander Khalifa Haftar, welcomed the October 20, 2026 vote on Libya's maritime agreement with Turkey, describing Turkey as a significant regional power and the 2019 maritime deal as protective of Libya's economic interests

Greece and Cyprus reject the vote

• ▪Greece's Foreign Ministry rejected the Libyan parliament's October 20, 2026 vote, stating Turkey and Libya lack opposite or adjacent coasts needed to establish maritime zones, notifying partners and allies to take measures protecting sovereign rights
• ▪Cyprus condemned the Libyan parliament's October 20, 2026 approval of the 2019 maritime deal with Turkey, declaring the memorandum illegal, null, and void

The 2019 maritime agreement

• ▪The Libyan-Turkish maritime agreement defines offshore jurisdiction areas in the Mediterranean, where recent natural gas discoveries in the eastern Mediterranean have driven competing regional claims
• ▪Turkey and Libya's then-government in Tripoli, the Government of National Accord, signed the memorandum of understanding on maritime boundaries in 2019