Türkiye offers Egypt maritime deal with 15,000 sq km gain
Türkiye has renewed its offer to sign a maritime boundary agreement with Egypt, saying Cairo could gain more than 15,000 square kilometers of additional maritime jurisdiction compared with a potential agreement with Greece, according to the Turkish Ministry of National Defense.
The ministry’s sources made the remarks Wednesday in response to questions following its weekly press briefing, reiterating Ankara’s commitment to protecting its interests in the Eastern Mediterranean while promoting regional stability.
The sources said any maritime delimitation agreement should protect the legitimate rights and interests of coastal states and be based on mutual interests.
“We are ready to sign an agreement with Egypt on the delimitation of maritime jurisdiction areas in line with mutual interests,” the sources said.
They added that Türkiye would continue to defend its rights in the Eastern Mediterranean within the framework of international law and contribute to regional peace, security and stability.
Egypt’s maritime interests in focus
Egypt has previously raised objections to the 2019 Türkiye-Libya maritime agreement over concerns about its own maritime rights and declared boundaries.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has defended the agreement, describing it as legitimate from both legal and political perspectives.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency during a visit to Brussels, Fidan reaffirmed Ankara’s commitment to diplomatic initiatives aimed at promoting peace, security, stability and prosperity across the Mediterranean.
“Our diplomacy has no other purpose than this,” he said.
Libya’s parliament approves maritime memorandum
The Turkish Defense Ministry also welcomed the Libyan House of Representatives’ approval of the 2019 Türkiye-Libya maritime memorandum on October 20, describing the decision as an important development in support of Ankara’s approach to international law and equity.
The memorandum was signed in Istanbul on November 27, 2019, during talks between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and then-Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. It was formally signed by the two countries’ foreign ministers at the time, Mevlut Cavusoglu and Mohamed Taher Siyala, and entered into force on December 8, 2019, according to United Nations treaty records.
The agreement has remained a source of geopolitical tension in the Eastern Mediterranean, drawing criticism from Greece and the European Union over competing claims to maritime jurisdiction.
Ankara emphasizes regional stability
The Libyan parliament’s decision received support from several political institutions in the country, including the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, the eastern administration and the High Council of State.
Libyan House of Representatives Speaker Salihin Abdunnebi defended the approval, describing it as a sovereign decision taken in accordance with international law and aimed at protecting Libya’s interests.
Türkiye has maintained regular diplomatic contacts with Libyan political actors and continues to emphasize its support for the country’s unity, political dialogue and stability.
The renewed offer to Egypt comes amid continuing disagreements over maritime boundaries and jurisdiction in the Eastern Mediterranean, where overlapping claims have complicated relations among regional countries.
Ankara says an agreement with Cairo based on mutual interests could expand Egypt’s maritime jurisdiction, while the competing proposals remain part of broader diplomatic discussions over the region’s maritime boundaries.
Source: Anadolu Agency (AA)
