Egypt has rejected the Turkey-Libya maritime agreement as “null and void,” and reaffirmed its maritime delimitation pact with Greece. 

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that the “Libya-Turkey maritime memorandum is null and void, carries no legal effect, and that its ratification by the Libyan House of Representatives entails no legal consequences whatsoever for Egypt.”

Cairo argued that the agreement violated international maritime law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and challenged its maritime rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

Egypt said it had previously objected to the agreement and reserved the right to take measures to safeguard its maritime entitlements under international law.

Libya’s eastern-based House of Representatives approved the agreement on Tuesday, reversing its previous rejection of the deal and its earlier decision to sever political relations with Ankara.

The memorandum was originally signed in November 2019 by Turkey and Libya’s then-Tripoli-based Government of National Accord.

Egypt and Greece have challenged the arrangement, arguing that it disregards their maritime entitlements, particularly those generated by Greek islands, and could strengthen Ankara’s position in contested waters.

Cairo signed its own maritime delimitation agreement with Athens in August 2020, establishing an exclusive economic zone between the two countries in parts of the eastern Mediterranean.

The dispute carries significant implications for offshore oil and gas exploration, as competing maritime claims could determine which countries gain access to potentially valuable energy resources.

Turkey and Libya also signed a separate security and military cooperation memorandum in 2019, laying the groundwork for deeper defense ties and Ankara’s support for the Tripoli-based government during Libya’s conflict.

The relationship has since expanded beyond western Libya, with Turkish officials establishing contacts with eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar and his allies despite their previous hostility toward Ankara.

Turkey, Pakistan, Syria deny combat roles in Yemen amid contradictory reports

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has claimed that his country has no plans to deploy troops to fight Yemen on behalf of Saudi Arabia, as the kingdom is seeking international aid to confront retaliatory Yemeni attacks.

In 2025, head of Turkish intelligence, Ibrahim Kalin, visited Benghazi for talks with Haftar, while Turkish military officials also engaged with his son, Saddam Haftar, the eastern forces’ deputy commander, on security cooperation.

The eastern parliament’s latest decision repealed its previous resolutions rejecting agreements with Turkey and severing political ties, signaling a significant shift in relations between Ankara and a rival Libyan power centre.

Energy cooperation has also emerged as a major component of the partnership, with Turkey pursuing opportunities for oil and gas exploration in Libyan waters and expanding commercial ties with the North African country.

Turkey maintains that its maritime agreement with Libya is legally valid and protects the interests of both countries, rejecting objections from regional rivals over its interpretation of maritime boundaries.

It remains unclear how the maritime dispute will affect Ankara’s efforts to persuade Cairo to join the so-called Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, a pact signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on August 7, 2026, that stipulates an armed attack against one member will be treated as an attack against all three.