"The agreement is not directed against any third country," said the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Numan Kurtulmuş, said in response to European reactions to the Turkish-Libyan memorandum. “Some may object, but we know what we’re doing,” he said, making it clear that Ankara and Tripoli will continue their efforts to protect their sovereign rights.
At a joint press conference in Ankara with the President of the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies, Claude Wieseler, Numan Kurtulmus stated that the agreement delimiting maritime zones of jurisdiction between Turkey and Libya is a continuation of a legal process that began on November 27, 2019, with the signing of the memorandum in Istanbul.
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As he noted, on October 20, the agreement was unanimously approved by the Libyan parliament and entered into force on the Libyan side as well, according to him.
“Yesterday I called my esteemed counterpart, the Speaker of the Libyan Parliament, and thanked him for this swift and strong support,” he said.
Responding to criticism from Europe, the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly argued that the agreement was not concluded against any third country, but is intended to protect the sovereign rights of Turkey and Libya in their respective maritime zones of jurisdiction in the Mediterranean. “I hope this will be an important opportunity to consolidate peace in the Mediterranean,” he added.
“These things happen in international relations. An agreement is reached, and someone else may object. We know what we’re doing,” he said.
“Of course, we will listen to the views anyone expresses on this issue, but ultimately, the step has been taken,” he added.
Numan Kurtulmus concluded by saying that both Turkey and Libya will focus on the issues arising, as he argued, from their sovereign rights and will continue their related work.
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Source: CNA
