EU slams Turkey-Libya maritime deal as tensions rise with Greece and Cyprus

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the Turkey-Libya maritime border agreement signed on Tuesday an infringement on the rights of third states, following her meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Brussels on Wednesday.

Kallas said that she "stressed that it infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states" to Fidan and indicated that it was disruptive to the Cyprus peace process.

The Turkish-Libyan agreement pertains to the maritime border between the two countries. Turkey is aiming to expand its naval control of the Eastern Mediterranean through its Mavi Vatan (Blue Homeland) project.

This has direct implications for both Greece and Cyprus, as the newly agreed Turkish-Libyan border cuts off Greece from Cyprus and disrupts ongoing defence planning by the two states to defend against possible Turkish aggression.

Turkey continues to maintain its occupation of northern Cyprus, as it has done since 1974.

Israel's Foreign Ministry condemned the deal, saying, "This agreement infringes upon the sovereign rights of our close allies in the region. Regretfully, once again we see Turkey working to destabilise the east Mediterranean region."

Israel has recently strengthened relations with both Greece and Cyprus, promising to develop air defences with Greece, modelled on Israel's Iron Dome, under a project called Achilles Shield. Israel has also engaged in training exercises with the Hellenic Navy in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Israel has also heavily invested in Cypriot defense programmes, including a €150 million deal involving Rafael and Israel Shipyards to supply the Cypriot Navy with new weapons systems.

Turkey's Mavi Vatan project also affects Israel's economic deals with Cyprus to explore gas in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Turkey's and Northern Cyprus's combined claims would reduce Cyprus's total claimed maritime zones by over half and leave the island almost completely surrounded by the maritime claims of both Turkey and Northern Cyprus.

Researchers at the University of Haifa estimate that Turkey's moves are designed to directly counter an Israeli-Cypriot-Greek alliance and disrupt gas exploration in the region.

This marks another development in the growing rivalry between the so-called Sunni Diamond, comprising Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt; and the so-called Hexagon alliance, centered on Israel and the UAE, but also including a range of allies from India to Ethiopia to Greece.