State Department condemns Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum ratification

On October 20, 2026, the Libyan House of Representatives ratified the Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum, sparking significant regional tensions. In response, the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC), led by executive director Endy Zemenides, urged U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to publicly reject the agreement, arguing it threatens U.S. energy and strategic interests in the Eastern Mediterranean and falls short of the U.S. position held in 2019.

Following initial U.S. calls for diplomatic dialogue, the State Department issued a formal statement on October 25, 2026, explicitly describing the ratification as a "provocative and unconstructive development." Washington emphasized that this move has increased regional instability and reaffirmed that the U.S. stance on the matter remains unchanged. The European Union, with the support of all 27 member states, had previously asserted that the memorandum violates sovereign rights and lacks legal effect on third parties.

Moving forward, the U.S. continues to encourage Greece and Turkey to resolve their maritime disputes through good-faith negotiations. The focus remains on maintaining stability in the Eastern Mediterranean to ensure that trade and research activities are not disrupted by conflicting territorial claims.