Libya slams Greece, Egypt 'so-called' maritime deal

By Mucahit Aydemir

TRIPOLI (AA) - Libya late Thursday condemned a maritime demarcation deal between Greece and Egypt in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“Libya will not allow violations of its maritime rights,” foreign ministry spokesman Mohammed Al-Qablawi said on Twitter.

Al-Qablawi reiterated Libya’s commitment to a memorandum of understanding concerning the delimitation of maritime jurisdiction signed with Turkey.

On November 27, Turkey and Libya have signed "Restriction of Marine Jurisdictions" agreements. The agreement determined a portion of Turkey’s maritime jurisdictions in the region.

Libya urges states bordering the Mediterranean to act in accord with the principles of international law, Al-Qablawi also stressed.

Egypt announced earlier Thursday it signed a bilateral agreement with Greece on the delimitation of maritime jurisdictions between the two countries.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry slammed the "so-called agreement" in a statement, asserting that Greece and Egypt had no mutual sea border and that the deal was "null and void" for Ankara.

It added that the demarcated area in the agreement was located on Turkey's continental shelf, as Ankara had reported to the UN.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz