Ankara, Turkey. Turkey said it opposed Greece’s “unilateral activities” in hydrocarbon fields south of Crete with a consortium led by U.S. oil major Chevron, calling them a violation of international law and good neighbourly relations.
Turkey cites 2019 Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum
The Turkish Defence Ministry said at its weekly press briefing that it opposed the activity, which it described as being attempted in violation of the 2019 Memorandum of Understanding on Maritime Jurisdiction between Libya and Turkey.
The ministry said the activity did not directly impact Turkey’s continental shelf in the region but violated Libya’s maritime jurisdiction declared to the United Nations on May 27, 2025.
It added that Turkey would continue to provide support to Libyan authorities to take action against what it called unilateral and unlawful activities by Greece.
Chevron-led consortium signs exclusive lease agreements
The Chevron-led consortium signed exclusive lease agreements on Monday to look for natural gas off southern Greece, expanding the United States’ presence in the eastern Mediterranean.
The deal doubles the amount of Greek maritime acreage available for exploration and is the second in months involving a U.S. energy major, as the European Union seeks to phase out supplies from Russia and the United States seeks to replace them.
Greece rejects Turkey-Libya agreement
The 2019 agreement signed by Turkey and Libya set out maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea and was rejected by Greece, which said it ignored the presence of the Greek island of Crete between the coasts of Turkey and Libya.
Long-running disputes between Turkey and Greece
Turkey and Greece, neighbours and NATO members, have been at odds for decades over a range of issues, primarily maritime boundaries and rights in the Aegean, an area widely believed to hold energy resources and with key implications for airspace and military activity.
A 2023 declaration on friendly relations prompted a thaw in rhetoric between the two countries, though issues have remained unresolved despite leaders voicing a desire to address them.
How do you think the latest dispute will affect efforts by Turkey and Greece to address unresolved issues?
