Ankara Renews Maritime Boundary Proposal to Cairo Following Libyan Deal
Turkiye’s Ministry of National Defence renewed an offer to sign a maritime boundary agreement with Cairo, asserting that Egypt could gain more than 15,000 square kilometres of maritime jurisdiction, Al Jazeera reported. The proposal follows a series of diplomatic and military contacts between Ankara and factions in eastern Libya, testing regional realignments across the Eastern Mediterranean.
The offer to Egypt came eight days after Libya’s eastern-based parliament in Tobruk approved a maritime agreement originally signed in 2019 between Turkiye and the internationally recognised government in Tripoli. Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt argue that the 2019 accord infringes on their sovereign rights, while Turkiye maintains it complies with international law. A senior Turkish official told Al Jazeera that eastern Libya’s leadership recognizes Ankara’s intentions to support a unified Libya.
Strategic Engagement Across Libyan Factions
Turkiye previously helped repel a 2019-2020 offensive on Tripoli by forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar, leader of the military forces of the eastern government. Ankara has since expanded its ties with the eastern camp while maintaining relations with Tripoli. Turkish security personnel stationed in Tripoli maintained contact with eastern forces throughout the conflict.
Diplomatic outreach has intensified through high-level meetings. Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler met Saddam Haftar, Khalifa Haftar’s son, and Abdulsalam al-Zoubi in May. Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin met Saddam Haftar in Benghazi on June 23, followed by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan meeting both Khalifa and Saddam Haftar in August.
Leadership shifts within Libya preceded the maritime vote. On October 6, lawmakers replaced Aguila Saleh as parliament speaker with Al-Salhin Abdelnabi al-Obeidi, former chair of the Libyan-Turkish parliamentary friendship committee. Galip Dalay, a senior research fellow at Chatham House, told Al Jazeera that Ankara’s engagement represents a strategic gain that complicates efforts to build Eastern Mediterranean energy arrangements excluding Turkiye.
Cairo Navigates Diplomatic Balancing Act
The Tobruk parliament’s endorsement of the maritime deal has complicated Egypt’s regional position. Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis stated on October 22 that talks were underway with Egypt regarding the eastward extension of their limited 2020 maritime boundary pact toward Cyprus. Following a span of four days, Egypt joined Cyprus, Greece, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and the European Union in releasing a United Nations joint declaration that dismissed the Turkiye-Libya agreement.
Despite the maritime dispute, Turkiye and Egypt continue to rebuild relations. Turkish land forces commander, General Metin Tokel, arrived in Egypt for an official visit, and the Turkish Defence Ministry announced a joint naval exercise in Alexandria scheduled for November 4 to 9. Anas El Gomati, director of the Sadeq Institute, told Al Jazeera that Egypt’s ability to influence eastern Libya has diminished, while Tarek Megerisi, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, noted that Turkiye’s relationship with Egypt has grown too important to sacrifice over the maritime disagreement.
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