EU Parliament warns Libya against “illegal drilling” in Mediterranean based on Turkey deal

The European Parliament called on Libya and Turkey “not to implement any clause” included in the two countries’ bilateral agreement on hydrocarbons, which was signed in Tripoli earlier this month.

This was reported in a series of recommendations about Libya, which was approved by the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday. The recommendations are intended for the European Commission, EU member states in the Council, and EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell.

According to the EU parliamentary committee, the Libya-Turkey hydrocarbons agreement “foresees illegal drilling activities in other countries’ exclusive economic zones, including those of Cyprus and Greece.”

The hydrocarbons deal, signed by foreign ministers of Turkey and Libya’s Government of National Unity, sparked strong opposition from Greece and Egypt and criticism from the European Union and the United States.

The deal is in fact based on the agreement for the demarcation of maritime borders signed in November 2019 in Istanbul by the former Libyan Government of National Accord and Turkey, which violates the maritime rights of third countries such as Greece and Egypt.

In their recommendations to EU top diplomats, members of the European Parliament urged the Libyan authorities to cancel the 2019 Turkey – Libya Memorandum of Understanding on the delimitation of maritime jurisdictions in the Mediterranean Sea.

The MEPs called on the EU to support Libya in “uniting itself through a proper constitutional reform process” and “step up its diplomatic efforts to restore peace and security in the country.”

“To do this, member states must act in a more unified manner and speak with one voice when it comes to Libya, avoiding the scattered approaches of the past,” they added.