The Impact of the Maritime Border Demarcation Agreement between Turkey and Libya in the Mediterranean Sea (2019) on Turkish-Greek Relations (2017-2021)

Abstract

Objectives: The study aimed to analyze the agreement to demarcate the maritime borders between Turkey and Libya in the Mediterranean Sea and its impact on Turkish-Greek relations during the period of 2017-2021, in light of the competition between Mediterranean countries to exploit oil and gas resources.

Methods: The study adopted a decision-making approach to reach its results. Various sources, references, books, articles, and reports were consulted, in addition to events, to analyze the impact of the agreement between Turkey and Libya on Turkish-Greek relations. The study also examined how the two countries made decisions or chose the best available political alternatives based on their conflicting interests.

Results: The study found that the Turkish-Libyan agreement on maritime borders has intensified the crisis between Turkey and Greece. Greece rejected the agreement due to its impact on its rights established in the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, where Turkey relinquished sovereignty over most islands in the Aegean Sea and Mediterranean. Greece sees itself as the primary target of this agreement, as it loses a significant portion of its exclusive economic zone to Turkey. Greece, along with Egypt and Greek Cyprus, formed a regional alliance to prevent Turkey from benefiting from exploration activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, given their shared maritime borders with Libya and Turkey.

Conclusion: The agreement has negatively impacted Turkish-Greek bilateral relations, increasing the state of international polarization in the Eastern Mediterranean.