By Emin Avundukluoglu
ANKARA (AA) - The Turkish parliament on Thursday ratified a recently signed pact between Turkey and Libya laying out the two countries’ maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean.
On Nov. 27, Turkey and Libya’s Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) signed the bilateral memorandum.
The memorandum asserts Turkey’s rights in the Eastern Mediterranean in the face of unilateral drilling by the Greek Cypriot administration, clarifying that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) also has rights to the resources in the area.
As the memorandum has already been signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, following its passage in parliament and publication in the Official Gazette, the memorandum goes into effect.
Since 2011, when longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi was ousted and killed, Libya has seen the emergence of two rival seats of power: one in eastern Libya, to which military commander Khalifa Haftar is affiliated, and the Government of National Accord, which enjoys UN recognition.