Turkey & Libya’s govt sign deal on maritime zones in the Mediterranean

Turkey and Libya’s internationally recognized government have signed an agreement on maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea, the Turkish government said on Thursday. A deal on expanded security and military cooperation was also signed.

The new agreements were signed at a meeting in Istanbul on Wednesday between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Fayez al-Serraj, the head of the Tripoli-based government, which Ankara is backing against a rival military force based in eastern Libya.

There were no immediate details on the maritime accord, which could further complicate disputes over energy exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean, where Turkish drilling has angered Greek Cypriots, Athens and the EU, Reuters said.

EU foreign ministers agreed economic sanctions against Ankara two weeks ago to punish it for drilling off the coast of Cyprus, in violation of a maritime economic zone established off the divided island. The dispute pits Turkey against several Eastern Mediterranean states that have agreed maritime and economic zones with Greece and Cyprus, leaving Ankara searching for allies in the region.