Kostas Karamanlis warned against concessions to Turkey, while Antonis Samaras renewed his call for the foreign minister's dismissal, as criticism of the government's foreign policy continued within New Democracy.

The State Department calls the ratification of the Turkey-Libya memorandum provocative, warning it raises regional tension, and urges dialogue

After Benghazi ratified the Turkey-Libya memorandum, Greece faces rising tension with Turkey over Chevron’s surveys, the Crete-Cyprus cable and migration

Athens is turning to international law and diplomatic pressure after Eastern Libya backed the disputed maritime pact, as Israel, Egypt and the EU reject the move and Greece weighs its next steps in the Eastern Mediterranean

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola reiterated the bloc’s support for Greece and Cyprus amid concerns over the Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum, endorsing a joint statement by European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

“Some countries may be upset by this agreement, but what matters to us is our national interest,” a Libyan lawmaker told Reuters, as the eastern-based parliament reversed its 2020 rejection of the deal and restored political ties with Ankara.

Saleh underlined that Libya’s Constitution is explicit: international agreements may be signed only by governments that have been formally endorsed by Parliament.

The question, therefore, is twofold: Can Athens prevent a Turkish–Egyptian understanding, and is an extension of the Greece–Egypt EEZ the best possible answer?

The Egyptian reaction, according to reports in Greek media on Friday, also dispute Libyan claims for hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation blocks in the east Mediterranean

Greek and Libyan foreign ministers are set to meet in Athens on Tuesday to discuss restarting negotiations on maritime zones, amid tensions over a 2019 Turkey-Libya deal rejected by Greece.

Kallas stated that the EU wanted third countries to act in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The letter emphasizes that 'the MoU in question does not produce any legal effects for third parties, nor does it affect the rights of third States over maritime zones, including their sovereign rights under international law'

Libya also objects to Greece’s April 17, 2025 declaration of an EEZ in the Ionian Sea, published under official government decree (No. 59). According to Libya, the southern boundary of this zone is violating Libya’s continental shelf rights

He also dismissed Ankara's annoyance with the declaration of a marine park in the Greek territorial waters in the southern Aegean, saying Athens doesn't discuss issues of sovereignty

The Libyan government asserts that “neither Greece nor Egypt has sovereign rights” in the maritime zones established between Libya and Turkey under this accord.

The diplomatic mission follows closely on the heels of a formal note sent by Libya to the United Nations, in which Tripoli challenges Greece's delineation of its maritime borders.

Libya has issued a formal diplomatic protest to the United Nations, directly challenging Greece’s maritime boundary claims south and west of Crete. This marks the first time Tripoli has officially laid claim to areas of the Eastern Mediterranean previously designated by Greece for offshore hydrocarbon exploration. At the heart of the dispute is the contentious […]

At the forefront of the minister’s agenda are the bilateral relations between Greece and Libya, as well as the urgent need to initiate discussions on the delimitation of maritime zones.

Libyan media have reported that the eastern parliament, based in Tobruk and aligned with Haftar, could proceed with ratifying the Turkey-Libya memorandum within the coming weeks

George Gerapetritis was replying to a Parliament question tabled by an independent deputy who was previously elected with the ruling New Democracy (ND) party