Cyprus has submitted a new letter to the United Nations challenging a 2019 maritime agreement between Turkey and Libya’s Tripoli-based government, which Greece, Egypt and the European Union also consider illegal, the Greek To Vima newspaper reported on Tuesday.
According to the report Cyprus’ permanent mission to the UN reiterated its longstanding position that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) “does not produce any legal effects for third parties, nor does it affect the rights of third States over maritime zones, including their sovereign rights under international law.”
The letter cited international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), arguing that the Turkish-Libyan accord was not concluded in line with treaty law. It also recalled earlier objections filed by Nicosia with the UN in 2020.
Turkey and Libya’s Tripoli-based government signed the MoU in 2019 to establish maritime boundaries and explore offshore resources. Greece has strongly opposed the deal, saying it violates maritime law and encroaches on Greek sovereignty.
Athens has since raised the issue with the UN and in response signed two separate agreements with Egypt: one aligning search-and-rescue zones with their respective Flight Information Regions (FIRs), and another delimiting their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) to counter the Turkey-Libya accord.