Libya’s martime deal with Türkiye ruffles feathers in Egypt
Libya’s martime deal with Türkiye ruffles feathers in Egypt newspress_en Fri, 10/23/2026 - 11:39 Politics Athens may feel betrayed, and Tel Aviv threatened, but Ankara must be celebrating a major triumph—one that paves the way for its expanded influence in the Eastern Mediterranean. On 20 October, eastern Libya’s parliament ratified a maritime boundary delimitation deal that Türkiye and…
The maritime deal between Türkiye and eastern Libya has sparked controversy in Egypt. On October 20, 2026, Libya's eastern parliament ratified a maritime boundary delimitation deal previously agreed upon in 2019. This development has raised concerns in Tel Aviv and Athens, while Ankara appears to be celebrating a significant geopolitical victory. The delimitation deal is crucial as the Eastern Mediterranean Sea is rich in natural gas deposits, which will determine exclusive economic zones (EEZs).
Saddam Haftar, deputy commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the son of Libya's elderly leader Khalifa Haftar, has been actively building relationships with various countries, including Greece, Türkiye, Israel, America, and Egypt. Despite the Haftars initially opposing Türkiye in 2019, their recent ratification puts Ankara in a favorable position.
However, this move comes as a surprising about-face, given that the Haftars were previously at odds with Türkiye, which has been supporting western Libya's authorities, including Tripoli.
Egypt has vehemently rejected the deal, arguing that it infringes on its EEZ and violates international maritime laws. The Foreign Ministry stated that the MoU signed in 2019 has no legal effect and that Egypt reserves the right to protect its rights and counter any attempts to undermine them. Cairo's rejection stems from political rivalries between the two nations, but it also poses challenges for Egypt's energy plans in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Egyptian energy analyst Ramadan Abul Ela emphasized that the MoU infringes on Egypt's maritime boundaries and necessitates defense of these boundaries by legal means. Amr Emam highlighted that the deal undermines Egypt's interests as it infringes on its maritime boundaries and threatens its role as a regional energy hub. Turkey, on the other hand, hopes to strengthen its influence in the Eastern Mediterranean, while Egypt seeks to solidify its position as a regional energy hub.
Written by urgent.news from Al Majalla English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
