Turkey Offers Egypt New Mediterranean Maritime Deal, Potentially Upsetting Greece
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Turkey has proposed a new maritime border deal to Egypt, offering more territory than a potential Greek agreement. This move follows Turkey's deal with Libya and escalates the dispute over Mediterranean resources, potentially impacting Greece and Israel. Egypt and Greece have previously rejected the Turkish-Libyan accord and are strengthening their own maritime cooperation.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Turkey proposed a new maritime border deal to Egypt, claiming it would grant Cairo over 15,000 sq km.
- The offer follows Turkey's maritime agreement with Libya and escalates disputes with Greece.
- Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt oppose Turkey's deal with Libya, citing sovereign rights violations.
- Egypt and Greece signed their own maritime deal in August 2020 to protect gas rights.
- The Turkish initiative could impact Israel's energy cooperation with Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus.
Turkey has proposed a new maritime border agreement to Egypt, which Ankara claims would grant Cairo over 15,000 square kilometers of additional sea territory. This offer follows Turkey's approval of a similar deal with Libya and comes amid an ongoing dispute with Greece over maritime resources in the Mediterranean.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense stated that Ankara is prepared to negotiate a maritime jurisdiction delimitation agreement with Egypt based on mutual interests. Turkey asserts that such a deal would be more advantageous for Egypt than any potential agreement with Greece. This figure is an unverified Turkish estimate, and no agreement has been reached.
Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt oppose the Turkish-Libyan agreement, arguing it infringes on their sovereign rights and international law. Turkey, however, maintains its agreement is based on fair division principles. The European Union has previously criticized the deal for impacting third-party rights.
Egypt and Greece signed their own partial agreement on exclusive economic zones in August 2020, partly in response to the Turkish-Libyan accord, aiming to protect their natural gas exploration and extraction rights. Despite recent improvements in Turkish-Egyptian relations after a decade of tension, Cairo has not yet accepted Ankara's proposal, with Egyptian and Greek foreign ministers recently reiterating their rejection of the Turkish-Libyan deal.
This Turkish initiative could also affect Israel's interests, as Israel collaborates significantly with Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus on energy matters. The dispute extends beyond maritime borders to encompass natural gas rights, underwater energy infrastructure, and strategic influence in the Eastern Mediterranean.
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