Three Arab Countries Side with Greece over Turkey on Maritime Deal with Libya

ANKARA — Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have sided with Greece in condemning the maritime agreement between Turkey and Libya.

They consider the agreement a threat to regional security and the international legal order, amid a prolonged dispute over maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean.

Last week, the eastern Libyan parliament approved a maritime boundary agreement with Turkey, originally agreed in 2019, prompting strong condemnation from Greece and Cyprus. Both countries say the agreement violates their own maritime claims.

In a joint statement delivered by Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis at the United Nations in New York earlier this week, Greece and the three Arab countries said the maritime agreement raised serious concerns about regional security and stability.

They also said it could set a damaging precedent by allowing arbitrary bilateral arrangements and undermining the rules of international law.

On Monday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the European Union’s and other parties’ reactions to the agreement’s approval had no valid basis. He also defended Ankara’s policy in the eastern Mediterranean.

The Arab countries’ support for Greece signals an effort to turn a bilateral dispute into a broader regional push to uphold maritime rules.

This increases diplomatic pressure on Turkey and Libya over maritime zones and future energy projects in the Mediterranean.