Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that the reactions of the European Union and other parties to the ratification of the Turkish-Libyan memorandum on the delimitation of theexclusive economic zones have no legal basis.
At the same time, Erdogan stated that Turkey does not seek to gain benefits at the expense of anyone in the Eastern Mediterranean, while emphasizing that those seeking to exclude Turkey from the Eastern Mediterranean must respect the will of Turkey and Libya.
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“I consider it particularly important for the future of Turkish foreign policy, as well as for the country’s political life, that those who harshly criticized us over the memorandum, asking ‘what business do we have in Libya,’ now acknowledge that we were right,” the Turkish president said.
“In both domestic and foreign policy, our sole guiding principle is Turkey’s interests. Even if we have to pay a price, we will never hesitate to do what is right and beneficial for Turkey and the Turkish people,” he added.
Erdoğan described the ratification of the Turkey-Libya memorandum by the Libyan House of Representatives as a “positive development,” arguing that the 2019 agreement was an important step toward securing the legitimate rights of both countries in the Eastern Mediterranean.
He placed particular emphasis on the fact that, as he noted, the agreement was approved unanimously, noting that the decision demonstrates that Libya’s political forces can set aside their differences when it comes to matters of national interest.
At the same time, he argued that this development strengthens the prospect of a unified Libya, which, he said, Ankara has supported from the outset.
Referring to Turkey’s policy in the Eastern Mediterranean, Erdogan stated that his country is in favor of a peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue with all coastal states.
“We expect all parties involved—and first and foremost the European Union—to demonstrate the same constructive will,” he emphasized.
It should be noted that on October 20, the parliament of eastern Libya ratified the 2019 Turkish-Libyan memorandum on the delimitation of maritime zones, overturning its long-standing opposition to the agreement.
The move sparked strong reactions from Greece, the European Union, and Egypt, which expressed their opposition to the ratification of the memorandum, emphasizing that it violates the sovereign rights of third countries and contravenes international law.
In fact, according to a recent report by the Arabic-language media outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, which cites an Egyptian diplomatic official, Cairo is preparing to escalate its legal actions against the Turkish-Libyan memorandum on the delimitation of maritime zones, by submitting a relevant memorandum to the UN and the Security Council.
Source: skai.gr
