Libya's Eastern Parliament Approves 2019 Maritime Deal with Turkiye, Signaling Strategic Shift

Forces maintained a security presence outside the parliament building in Tobruk, Libya, on February 10, 2022. Libya's parliament, operating in the east and supported by military commander Khalifa Haftar as an alternative to the UN-recognized legislature in Tripoli, has given its approval to a maritime agreement with Turkiye, concluding years of strained relations.

The Benghazi-based government of Haftar announced on Tuesday that its House of Representatives in Tobruk had unanimously voted to endorse the 2019 memorandum of understanding. This agreement, signed between Turkiye and Libya's former UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), concerns the delimitation of maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea.

Lawmaker Aisha al-Tabalqi informed Reuters that specialized committees had provided a comprehensive explanation of the deal's terms. This approval comes six years after the same parliament had unanimously rejected the deal's ratification in 2020 and severed political ties with Ankara.

This reversal marks a significant strategic realignment that has been developing since last year, building upon Ankara's military-to-military engagements with Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA). These engagements include an agreement in July to develop military facilities and advanced surveillance systems.

The LNA, reportedly backed by Egypt and other regional powers, has been in conflict with forces aligned with the Tripoli-based government since the outbreak of the Libyan civil war in 2014. In 2019, Turkiye had signed a maritime boundary agreement in the Mediterranean with the Tripoli-based government, which led to protests from Greece and Cyprus.

Both European nations condemned the agreement, asserting it was a significant violation of international law that disregarded the rights of other eastern Mediterranean countries. "Some countries may be upset by this agreement, but what matters to us is our national interest," stated Tarek al-Jeroushi, a lawmaker in the eastern-backed parliament. He added that the deal would enhance Libya's standing as a political, military, and economic partner to major powers.

In December 2019, Haftar's LNA was close to encircling Tripoli and threatening to overwhelm the UN-recognized GNA, then led by Fayez al-Sarraj. Turkiye's intervention at that time, involving the deployment of military advisors and drones, halted the LNA's advance and altered the course of the Libyan civil war.

Seven years later, discussions are underway regarding Ankara potentially establishing a military presence in areas controlled by Haftar's LNA. This strategic pivot towards the east is intended to safeguard Turkiye's long-term geopolitical and economic interests, ensuring its continued influence in Libya irrespective of future political resolutions between the government and eastern authorities.