Egypt, Israel and Greece have been at the forefront of international condemnation of the House of Representatives’ (HoR) ratification of the 2019 Libya-Turkey maritime MoU on 20 October.
On 21 October, all 27 EU member states issued a swift joint statement reaffirming that the memorandum violates international law, infringes upon third-state sovereign rights, and holds no legal effect whatsoever.
On 21 October, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned and rejected the House of Representatives’ (HoR) ratification of the 2019 Libya-Turkey maritime MoU, stressing that its approval by the HoR did not alter its legal status or create any obligations for Egypt. Cairo argued that the agreement violates international law, infringes upon regional maritime rights, and lacks any legitimacy. Any bilateral arrangements concerning Mediterranean maritime boundaries must respect the sovereign rights of all affected littoral states. The Ministry emphasized that Egypt reserves the right to safeguard its rights and counter any attempt to undermine them.
Israel also condemned the ratification. The Foreign Ministry expressed strong opposition to the move, arguing that the agreement infringes upon the sovereign rights of Israel’s regional partners and allies, adding: “Regrettably, once again, Turkey is acting in a manner that undermines stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
On 22 October, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Badr Abdelatty, and Greece, George Gerapetretis, held a phone call during which they jointly condemned the HoR’s ratification of the maritime MoU, declaring it invalid. Both ministers emphasized the necessity of upholding international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) regarding maritime boundaries, exclusive economic zones (EEZs), and continental shelves, while agreeing to maintain close bilateral consultations on the matter. Moreover, they agreed to resume formal talks on extending their existing 2020 EEZ delimitation agreement further east toward Cyprus, a step designed to counter Ankara’s regional ambitions and safeguard their shared maritime interests in the Eastern Mediterranean. Technical-level consultations are expected to commence soon.
Greece formally brought the dispute with Libya and Turkey over the 2019 MoU to the United Nations Security Council, where Greece holds the rotating monthly presidency. During closed-door consultations, Greek Permanent Representative Ambassador Aglaia Balta warned that the unilateral ratification threatens security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, reiterating Athens’ position that the agreement is illegal and invalid. She emphasized that international law, including the UNCLOS, cannot be bypassed or rewritten through unilateral decisions. Moreover, Greece formally submitted a letter of protest to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
The spokesperson of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the 2019 Turkey-Libya MoU and expressed full solidarity with Greece. Reaffirming the European Union’s position, she stressed that the agreement violates the sovereign rights of third countries and does not comply with the Law of the Sea, emphasizing that any maritime zone delimitations in the Mediterranean must strictly adhere to international law and involve all affected coastal states.
On 26 October, Greece, the EU, Cyprus, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates jointly opposed the ratification of the Turkey-Libya maritime MoU in a statement issued at the UN.