Libyan parliament approves maritime agreement with Turkey

On Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the Libyan House of Representatives, based in the eastern part of the country, officially approved the 2019 maritime border agreement with Turkey. This decision marks a significant reversal, as the legislature had previously declared the memorandum invalid and imposed a boycott on it in 2020. The original agreement was signed in November 2019 by Turkey and the former Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA).

This shift in policy follows the departure of Aguila Saleh, who had served as the parliament's speaker for 12 years and was a close associate of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. Saleh was recently succeeded by As Salin Abdelnabi al Obaidi, a lawmaker from Tobruk. Meanwhile, the head of Turkish intelligence, Ibrahim Kalin, arrived in Tripoli on Tuesday for a series of high-level security meetings, signaling strengthening ties between the nations.

Greece continues to view the memorandum as legally invalid, regardless of this parliamentary ratification. Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis stated that the legislative action does not grant the agreement international legal standing, as the core objections from Athens remain focused on the validity of the maritime boundaries defined in the document.