>Turkey Rejects Criticism From EU, Greece Over Libya Energy Deal
>
>BySelcan Hacaoglu
>
>October 4, 2022 at 1:11 PM GMT+2
>
>Turkey on Tuesday rebuffed European Union criticism of its push to expand energy collaboration with one of Libya’s two rival administrations in waters where Greece and other countries also claim territorial rights.
>
>Ankara and the Tripoli-based administration of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah this week signed a pact intensifying joint efforts to explore for natural gas, fueling a festering dispute over competing energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean.
>
>The accord built on a 2019 agreement that Turkey had extracted from Libya’s previous internationally-recognized government in exchange for military assistance in the North African nation’s war.
>
>Disputed Waters
>
>Competing claims over the Eastern Mediterranean
>
>Sources: Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Anadolu Agency; Greek media reports; Flanders Marine Institute
>
>Note: Some Exclusive Economic Zones are disputed
>
>But the EU on Monday said the deal struck three years ago infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states and doesn’t comply with the United Nations Law of the Sea. Egypt and Greece said the Dbeibah government had no authority to make international agreements.
>
>Turkey hit back. “Objecting to this agreement on cooperation between two sovereign states is against both international law and the basic principles of the UN,” the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, accusing Greece of seeking of pursuing a “maximalist” maritime jurisdiction policy. “The EU is not an international judicial body to comment on or adjudicate on agreements between sovereign third countries.”
>
>Libya, also home to Africa’s largest crude oil reserves, has largely been wracked by war and lawlessness since former dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi was toppled in 2011. It’s now split between Dbeibah’s administration and rival premier Fathi Bashagha, who’s backed by parliament and has vowed to reject any deals struck by officials in Tripoli.
What Turkey agrees with an illegitimate government is of no consequence to anyone. The Libyan parliament said so. Only Turkey believes it’s own nonsense. They could just as easily agree with Hamas on an EEZ with Gaza but are too afraid of Israel. How sad.
Turkey needs to touch grass and stop with this idiocy, it’s a fever dream of Erdogan’s and nothing more.
We can do that? Just ‘reject’ criticism? Wish I knew that in art class.
This agreement is a tool that Turkey will hope to use one day in the future when the dispute (with Greece) turns into a major crisis and there’s an eventual resolution to the dispute.
Turkey’s perspective is that they’re not a signatory to UNCLOS so they can’t be held to it. Everybody else’s perspective is that this is nonsense, because so many coastal states are signatories to UNCLOS that it might as well apply to everyone. It doesn’t yet matter who’s right, so there’s no point in arguing in the comments for either point.
(Most states consider Greece’s position to be reasonable, and Turkey’s position to be fringe. This is widely known. However, Greek islands immediately adjacent to Turkey’s coastline “block” huge areas of the Aegean Sea for Greece’s benefit and Turkey’s loss. This is the single most impactful location in the world where islands’ EEZ deprives the EEZ of an adjacent mainland. Turkey’s displeasure should be understood.)
In the end, far in the future, they might punt this to arbitration, as tons of other states have to resolve their maritime disputes, but they might not.
Right now, there’s more incentive for them to disagree than to agree: there’s too much value at stake — it’s better to hold on out this until an opportunity arises for either party to gain an upper hand.
Turkey do an agreement with a county that not has common boarders
Is just total stupid!
Libyan parliament says the agreement is nonsense and Foreign Minister of Libya Najla Mohammed El Mangoush says that “the agreement of 2019 is not legitimate and must go to UN”.
Turkey must understand that we are live in 21st century and not in 1700-1800ad…
i heard that China will sign an agreement with south africa that all waters between them are shared 50-50.
12 comments
[Turkey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvCgpyNSm90&t=31s) right now.
Paywalled
>Turkey Rejects Criticism From EU, Greece Over Libya Energy Deal
>
>BySelcan Hacaoglu
>
>October 4, 2022 at 1:11 PM GMT+2
>
>Turkey on Tuesday rebuffed European Union criticism of its push to expand energy collaboration with one of Libya’s two rival administrations in waters where Greece and other countries also claim territorial rights.
>
>Ankara and the Tripoli-based administration of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah this week signed a pact intensifying joint efforts to explore for natural gas, fueling a festering dispute over competing energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean.
>
>The accord built on a 2019 agreement that Turkey had extracted from Libya’s previous internationally-recognized government in exchange for military assistance in the North African nation’s war.
>
>Disputed Waters
>
>Competing claims over the Eastern Mediterranean
>
>Sources: Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Anadolu Agency; Greek media reports; Flanders Marine Institute
>
>Note: Some Exclusive Economic Zones are disputed
>
>But the EU on Monday said the deal struck three years ago infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states and doesn’t comply with the United Nations Law of the Sea. Egypt and Greece said the Dbeibah government had no authority to make international agreements.
>
>Turkey hit back. “Objecting to this agreement on cooperation between two sovereign states is against both international law and the basic principles of the UN,” the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, accusing Greece of seeking of pursuing a “maximalist” maritime jurisdiction policy. “The EU is not an international judicial body to comment on or adjudicate on agreements between sovereign third countries.”
>
>Libya, also home to Africa’s largest crude oil reserves, has largely been wracked by war and lawlessness since former dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi was toppled in 2011. It’s now split between Dbeibah’s administration and rival premier Fathi Bashagha, who’s backed by parliament and has vowed to reject any deals struck by officials in Tripoli.
What Turkey agrees with an illegitimate government is of no consequence to anyone. The Libyan parliament said so. Only Turkey believes it’s own nonsense. They could just as easily agree with Hamas on an EEZ with Gaza but are too afraid of Israel. How sad.
[Ok](https://www.kathimerini.gr/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/04SkitsaMakr-9.png)
Turkey needs to touch grass and stop with this idiocy, it’s a fever dream of Erdogan’s and nothing more.
We can do that? Just ‘reject’ criticism? Wish I knew that in art class.
This agreement is a tool that Turkey will hope to use one day in the future when the dispute (with Greece) turns into a major crisis and there’s an eventual resolution to the dispute.
Turkey’s perspective is that they’re not a signatory to UNCLOS so they can’t be held to it. Everybody else’s perspective is that this is nonsense, because so many coastal states are signatories to UNCLOS that it might as well apply to everyone. It doesn’t yet matter who’s right, so there’s no point in arguing in the comments for either point.
(Most states consider Greece’s position to be reasonable, and Turkey’s position to be fringe. This is widely known. However, Greek islands immediately adjacent to Turkey’s coastline “block” huge areas of the Aegean Sea for Greece’s benefit and Turkey’s loss. This is the single most impactful location in the world where islands’ EEZ deprives the EEZ of an adjacent mainland. Turkey’s displeasure should be understood.)
In the end, far in the future, they might punt this to arbitration, as tons of other states have to resolve their maritime disputes, but they might not.
Right now, there’s more incentive for them to disagree than to agree: there’s too much value at stake — it’s better to hold on out this until an opportunity arises for either party to gain an upper hand.
Turkey do an agreement with a county that not has common boarders
Is just total stupid!
Libyan parliament says the agreement is nonsense and Foreign Minister of Libya Najla Mohammed El Mangoush says that “the agreement of 2019 is not legitimate and must go to UN”.
Turkey must understand that we are live in 21st century and not in 1700-1800ad…
i heard that China will sign an agreement with south africa that all waters between them are shared 50-50.
Reject Greece, Embrace Energy.
The UN seems to be fine with it.