Key facts
- Libya's eastern parliament ratified a maritime boundary deal with Turkey on October 20.
- The deal runs a boundary between Crete and Cyprus, challenging Greek and Egyptian maritime claims.
- Saddam Haftar, son of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, pushed for the deal's ratification.
- Turkey seeks a similar maritime deal with Damascus.
- Egypt views the deal as an infringement on its sovereign rights.
- International oil companies are unlikely to invest in the contested waters.
Turkey has secured the ratification of a seven-year-old maritime boundary deal with both of Libya's rival governments, a move that challenges the continental shelf claims of Greece and Egypt. The deal, ratified by Libya's eastern parliament on October 20, delineates a maritime border between Crete and Cyprus, potentially leaving Greek islands without exclusive economic zones beyond their territorial waters. This development follows the removal of Aguila Saleh, the former speaker who had blocked the ratification, and the election of Al-Salhin Abdelnabi al-Obeidi. Turkey had previously signed a military agreement with Haftar's Libyan National Army in July. Analysts suggest Saddam Haftar, son of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, pushed for the deal to gain Turkish support for his presidential ambitions. While Turkey has not publicly committed to supporting a unified Libyan government under these terms, its position gives it significant leverage. The deal strengthens Turkey's stance in the Eastern Mediterranean and complicates regional energy exploration, as international oil companies are hesitant to invest in disputed waters.