Eastern Libya’s parliament ratifies the 2019 Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum

On October 21, 2026, the House of Representatives based in Benghazi, Eastern Libya, officially ratified the 2019 Turkey-Libya memorandum on maritime zones. This decision marks a significant shift in political alignment, as it ends a six-year period during which the Eastern Libyan political faction consistently labeled the agreement invalid and contrary to the region's interests. Additionally, the parliament decided to revoke its 2020 resolution that had previously severed all political and economic ties with Turkey.

International relations expert Charalambos Chrysostomou noted that while this ratification does not alter the document's international legal standing, it significantly changes the geopolitical landscape in the Eastern Mediterranean. Chrysostomou emphasized that political and strategic precedents often precede legal developments in international relations. Concerns have been raised regarding the impact of these claims, specifically noting that the maritime area contested by the memorandum intersects with the planned route of the Greece-Cyprus-Israel submarine electricity cable.

The current situation poses a strategic challenge for Greece and Cyprus as they face the risk of a legally weak text being transformed into a geopolitical reality. There is no immediate indication of further legal steps, but analysts warn that Ankara will leverage this development to argue that the memorandum now enjoys near-unanimous support from Libyan political forces.