Libya's eastern parliament ratifies Türkiye maritime memorandum; EU calls it null and void

Libya's House of Representatives on 20 October approved the 2019 memorandum of understanding with Türkiye on the delimitation of maritime jurisdiction areas, and the European Union said a day later that the memorandum is "null and void and cannot produce any legal consequences for third States", in a statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU. The EU said it "strongly regrets" the ratification and that the memorandum infringes the sovereign rights of third States and does not comply with the Law of the Sea.

The House, the parliament based in the east of the country, approved the memorandum unanimously, according to Türkiye Today, citing a statement issued in Benghazi and the parliament's spokesman. The memorandum was signed in Istanbul on 27 November 2019 by Türkiye and the then Government of National Accord, the same report says. The House also unanimously repealed its Resolution No. 1 of 2020, which had rejected two memoranda signed with Türkiye and declared them void, and overturned Resolution No. 6 of 2020, which had called for political relations with Türkiye to be cut.

What each side says

Türkiye's Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the decision the same day in statement No. 202. It said the memorandum has been in force since 2019 and safeguards the mutual rights and interests of both countries on the basis of international law and the principle of equity, and that Türkiye will keep working with its partners for stability in the Mediterranean.

The EU statement rests on European Council conclusions of December 2019, which it says were reaffirmed in June 2025. It says the EU has a strategic interest in stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and urges all countries to respect the sovereign rights of all Member States, in line with EU and international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. It does not name a Member State.

Why it matters

The ratification turns a document signed by the former Government of National Accord into one approved by the eastern-based House, which until this month had treated it as void. The two positions now on the record conflict: Libya's parliament and Türkiye treat the memorandum as in force, and the EU says it has no legal effect for third States. Türkiye's governance record is set out in our October Country Governance Briefing, and the EU positions for COP31 in Antalya in our report on the Council conclusions.

Neither statement sets a procedural date or a next step.