Greece ‘registers disagreement’ with Libya-Turkey maritime accord
6602 Mins Read
Greece said it opposed an accord reached by Turkey and Libya to define their maritime boundaries but said it and Ankara – both members of NATO – were committed to talks on confidence-building measures.
Libya and Turkey signed an agreement on boundaries in the Mediterranean last week that could complicate Ankara’s disputes over offshore energy exploration in the Mediterranean with nations including Greece.
The accord between Turkey and Libya’s internationally recognised government, which mapped out a sea area between the two countries, was signed on Nov. 27.
A handout photo made available by Turkish President Press Office shows Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) shake hands with Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis (R) after the NATO Summit in London, Britain, 04 December 2019. NATO countries’ heads of states and governments gather in London for a two-day meeting. EPA-EFE/TURKISH PRESIDENT PRESS OFFICE HANDOUT
Libya’s neighbour Egypt dismissed the deal as “illegal” as did Cyprus, while Greece has said any such accord would be geographically absurd because it ignored the presence of the Greek island of Crete between the coasts of Turkey and Libya.
Greece has warned Libya’s ambassador to Athens that if he failed to provide clarifications to the Greek government over the deal he could be expelled, a Greek government spokesman said on Tuesday.
