Libya’s House of Representatives has unanimously approved a maritime boundary agreement with Türkiye, reversing its previous rejection of the deal and its decision to sever political relations with Ankara.
Tuesday’s vote endorses a memorandum of understanding signed in November 2019 between Türkiye and Libya’s former Government of National Accord to delimit maritime jurisdiction areas in the Mediterranean Sea.
In a statement released in Benghazi, the parliament said lawmakers had also unanimously repealed Resolution No. 1 of 2020, which rejected the ratification of two memorandums of understanding signed between Libya and Türkiye.
Parliament overturns earlier decisions
Lawmakers also unanimously overturned Resolution No. 6 of 2020, which called for severing political relations with Ankara, the statement said.
The decisions mark a reversal of the parliament’s previous stance on both the maritime agreements and relations with Türkiye, potentially opening the way for closer bilateral engagement.
The earlier resolutions reflected opposition within Libya’s eastern-based parliament to agreements concluded by the country’s former internationally recognised Government of National Accord.
A strategic agreement in the Mediterranean
Türkiye and Libya signed the maritime jurisdiction agreement in November 2019 to define the boundaries of their respective maritime areas in the Mediterranean.
The deal has been a significant element of Ankara’s regional maritime policy and its relationship with Libya, where political divisions have shaped foreign policy decisions for years.
Tuesday’s unanimous vote represents a formal shift by Libya’s House of Representatives, which has now withdrawn its earlier rejection of the agreement and its call to cut political ties with Türkiye.
