US Calls Turkey-Libya Maritime Deal Provocative Amid Backlash

The Trump administration’s State Department has criticized a newly ratified maritime agreement between NATO member Türkiye and Libya, a country still divided by rival political and military authorities.

The Türkiye-Libya accord has triggered anger across the region, with several governments arguing that it attempts to redraw long-standing maritime boundaries in the Eastern Mediterranean, an area believed to contain significant natural gas reserves.

Libya’s eastern parliament approved the agreement in mid-October. That territory is controlled by military commander Khalifa Haftar, whose forces have aligned with Türkiye. The arrangement bypasses Libya’s internationally recognized administration in Tripoli, located in the country’s northwest.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told News Media, “The announcement of the ratification of the Turkish-Libyan delimitation memorandum of understanding has raised tensions in the region and is unhelpful and provocative — and our position on this matter has not changed.”

The official urged all governments, including Eastern Mediterranean partners, to settle competing maritime claims through sincere negotiations and to avoid actions that could further inflame tensions. “Greece and Türkiye are both NATO allies,” the spokesperson said, encouraging the two countries to work directly toward resolving their differences.

The spokesperson said that resolving the disputes peacefully would create better conditions for commercial investment and energy exploration, potentially benefiting countries throughout the region.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan defended the agreement on Wednesday, calling it fully lawful and insisting that it does not conflict with international law, according to the Turkish news agency Anadolu.

“This is an entirely legitimate agreement, both from a legal and a political perspective. There is no need to debate it,” Fidan said.

Reuters reported that Fidan also dismissed the objections raised by other countries. “There are countries reacting to this. We know why they are reacting. Some are doing so because they need to, some really do have strategic problems with this issue. ​ However, this is an entirely legitimate deal, both from a legal and a statutory perspective. ​There is no need to argue this.”

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News Media contacted officials in Türkiye and Libya for comment, but neither side had responded by the time of publication.

Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis rejected the accord in a forceful statement published on his ministry’s website. “The memorandum will not be implemented. And it will not be implemented for the simple reason that it produces no legal effects whatsoever, as it is entirely contrary to international law.” He accused Türkiye of building an influence network in Libya to pursue its own objectives and said Turkish media had intensified its anti-Greece messaging. “There is a constant stream of reports pushing the Turkish government to become even more aggressive.”

Endy Zemenides, executive director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council, told News Media that the agreement “absolutely” poses a threat to the security interests of the United States and its allies.

He argued that the memorandum could harm American energy companies and conflict with U.S. policy in the region by denying maritime rights around Crete. The Greek island is home to NATO’s southernmost base and has taken on added importance as the United States responds to conflicts across the Middle East. Zemenides also pointed to the presence of Exxon and Chevron in Crete.

Zemenides described the Türkiye-Libya agreement as part of an effort to weaken the American position in the Eastern Mediterranean. He said Washington has been unable to depend on Türkiye for roughly a decade and warned that permitting Ankara to challenge the pro-Western regional order could undermine U.S. interests.

The European Union also issued an unusually direct condemnation, saying the agreement violates established principles of maritime law.

“The EU position regarding the MoU is firm and clear. As outlined in the European Council Conclusions of December 2019 and reiterated in June 2025, the Türkiye-Libya Memorandum of Understanding infringes upon the sovereign rights of third States and does not comply with the Law of the Sea. It is null and void and cannot produce any legal consequences for third States.”

Israel also blasted Turkey and Libya. The Jewish state has developed a troika alliance with both Greece and Cyprus. Israel’s foreign ministry said on X it “strongly condemns the decision of the Libyan House of Representatives to ratify the Maritime Jurisdiction Memorandum between Turkey and Libya.”

Israel’s foreign ministry added on X that “This agreement infringes upon the sovereign rights of our close allies in the region. Regretfully, once again we see Turkey working to destabilize the east Mediterranean region.”