Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have backed Greece’s position regarding the maritime boundary agreement signed between Turkey and Libya. The six parties stated that the agreement could harm security in the region and does not comply with international law.
Globalinfo.az reports that this was disclosed by Reuters.
Greece, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Cyprus and the European Union (EU) issued a joint statement. The statement was submitted by Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis to the United Nations in New York on October 26.
The statement said the agreement signed between Turkey and Libya could increase tension in the region. It also stressed that agreements reached between countries should not violate the rights of other states.
Greece believes the agreement disregards its rights related to its maritime zones. Cyprus also objects to the document, the statement noted.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for his part, criticized the position of the parties opposing the agreement on October 26.
He said the objections raised by the European Union and other countries have no legal basis. Erdogan defended Turkey’s policy in the eastern Mediterranean.
Ankara believes the agreement is important for protecting the maritime rights of Turkey and Libya.
It should be noted that the maritime boundary agreement between Turkey and Libya was signed in 2019. The document was signed by the government based in Tripoli, the capital of Libya.
However, the parliament in eastern Libya did not recognize the agreement for a long time. On October 20, the parliament approved the document. Following this decision, Greece and Cyprus once again voiced their objections.
It should be recalled that the agreement between Turkey and Libya concerns the delimitation of maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea. One of the main causes of the dispute is Greece’s claims over maritime zones around the island of Crete. The presence of natural gas reserves in the region makes the issue even more significant. The countries want to conduct energy exploration and use the reserves in the maritime areas. Greece and Egypt believe the Turkey-Libya agreement goes against their interests. Ankara, however, defends the agreement.
Thus, the approval of the agreement by the parliament in eastern Libya has once again brought to the fore the existing disagreements between Turkey and Greece in the Mediterranean Sea.
Aliyar Khalil
Globalinfo.az
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