Libya, Türkiye urge Greece to respect their sovereign decision

ANKARA (AA) – In a letter to the UN on Tuesday, Türkiye and Libya blasted Greek criticisms of their agreements on the delimitation of hydrocarbon and maritime jurisdiction areas, and urged Greece to end its baseless accusations, hostile rhetoric, and escalatory actions and instead respect the sovereign decisions of the two countries.

“The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on 3 Oct. 2022 between the Governments of National Unity of Libya and the Republic of Türkiye on Cooperation in the Field of Hydrocarbons is a legal instrument based on the principle of sovereign equality. The MOU envisages the development of bilateral cooperation in the field of hydrocarbons, both on land and at sea in the Eastern Mediterranean and therefore is in full observance of the principles of international law concerning friendly relations and cooperation among states,” Feridun Sinirlioglu, Türkiye’s permanent representative to the UN, and Libya’s Permanent Representative to the UN Taher El-Sonni said in a joint letter in English.

The letter noted that, contrary to Greece’s allegations, the Libyan Government of National Unity has the capacity to enter and terminate international accords, and that its laws authorize the government to negotiate agreements with other states.

Contrary to Greece’s claims, the letter highlighted that there is no legal basis for claims that the hydrocarbons agreement signed by Libya and Türkiye contradicts the political process under UN supervision, as the roadmap that will lead to a political solution in Libya gives the government full authority in the election preparation process.

Türkiye and Libya urged Greece to stop its unfounded charges, hostile rhetoric, and measures that aggravate tensions, and to respect the two neighboring nations’ sovereign decisions.