Eastern Libya parliament ratifies Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum

On October 20, 2026, the House of Representatives based in Benghazi ratified the 2019 Turkey-Libya memorandum on maritime zones. This decision marks a significant shift, as the Haftar-aligned political camp had previously dismissed the agreement as invalid for six years. Simultaneously, the parliament revoked a 2020 decision that had severed political and economic ties with Turkey, signaling a major rapprochement between Benghazi and Ankara. Experts attribute this change to the removal of Aguila Saleh from the parliamentary presidency on October 6, 2026, and Turkey’s evolving strategy of engagement with Eastern Libya.

While the ratification does not change the document's legal status under international law, experts warn it creates a geopolitical fait accompli in the Eastern Mediterranean. The maritime area claimed by the memorandum overlaps with the planned route of the Greece-Cyprus-Israel submarine cable, raising concerns about potential security and energy project disruptions. In response, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola reaffirmed European solidarity with Athens and Nicosia, stressing that EU institutions share concerns regarding the implications of this development. Greek and Cypriot authorities are now evaluating how to counter this political pressure, while ongoing diplomatic efforts continue to address the regional tensions.