HALC urges US to reject Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum

The Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC), led by executive director Endy Zemenides, has formally requested that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly reject the Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum. The organization argues that the agreement, ratified by the Libyan House of Representatives on October 20, negatively impacts US energy investments and strategic interests in the Eastern Mediterranean, including security at the Souda naval base.

HALC criticized an initial State Department response on October 22 as insufficient, claiming it was weaker than Washington’s stance in 2019. The organization contrasted the US position with that of the European Union, which issued a unified statement on October 21 declaring the memorandum in violation of third-country sovereign rights. Following this criticism, the State Department issued a clarification on October 25, labeling the ratification as a "non-constructive and provocative" development while urging NATO allies Greece and Turkey to resolve maritime boundary disputes through good-faith negotiations.

While the State Department emphasizes the need for dialogue, it maintains that its underlying policy regarding the sovereignty issues has not changed. The situation remains a point of diplomatic tension in the Eastern Mediterranean, with Egypt and Israel also expressing concerns regarding the implications of the memorandum on regional maritime zones and energy exploration.