All 27 EU states reject Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum

Brussels, Belgium. A statement supported by all 27 EU countries rejected the 2019 maritime memorandum between Turkey and Libya on Wednesday, saying it infringes other states’ sovereign rights and breaches international maritime law.

EU reaffirms its position

Issued by the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, the statement described the memorandum as “null and void and cannot produce legal consequences for third States”.

The bloc expressed deep regret over the Libyan parliament’s ratification on 20 October. It described its stance as clear and unwavering, recalling that European Council conclusions had established it in December 2019 and reaffirmed it in June 2025.

The Libyan parliament unanimously approved the agreement on Tuesday. Under its provisions, the exclusive economic zones claimed by Turkey and Libya meet along a Mediterranean boundary south-east of Crete, the Greek island.

Regional security and support for Cyprus and Greece

The EU identified stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean as a strategic interest. It urged every country to honour each EU member’s sovereign rights under EU and international law, including UNCLOS, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Kallas also stressed the importance of good relations between neighbours and advances towards a Cyprus settlement.

European Council president Antonio Costa and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen expressed support and solidarity for Greece and Cyprus. They said the memorandum was incompatible with maritime law and reaffirmed the EU’s established opposition to external interference in Libya.