Greece and Turkey clash at UN Security Council over maritime memorandum

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addressed the UN Security Council on October 29, 2026, during a debate on maritime security, denouncing the 2019 Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum as illegal and arbitrary. Using maps, Mitsotakis argued that the agreement disregards the geography of Greek islands such as Crete, Rhodes, Karpathos, and Kassos, violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He emphasized that bilateral arrangements cannot override the sovereign rights of third states.

Turkey’s UN representative, Ambassador Ahmet Yildiz, rejected these claims, asserting that the Security Council is not a court for maritime delimitation and that the 2019 memorandum remains in force. He reiterated Ankara's proposal for an Eastern Mediterranean conference. The Republic of Cyprus, through its UN representative Maria Michael, aligned with Athens, officially labeling the deal as null and void. Tensions escalated further as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a statement vowing to neutralize those who obstruct Turkey’s national objectives, marking a clear downturn in bilateral relations.