Can Turkiye’s Libya breakthrough reshape Eastern Mediterranean diplomacy?

The offer came eight days after Libya's eastern-based parliament in Tobruk reversed years of opposition and approved a maritime agreement signed between its rival, the internationally recognised government based in Tripoli, and Turkiye in 2019. The agreement delineates maritime jurisdiction areas claimed by Turkiye and Libya in the Mediterranean, but Greece, Cyprus and Egypt argue that it infringes on their sovereign rights while Turkiye maintains that it complies with international law.

From confrontation to cooperation

Turkiye helped repel a 2019-2020 offensive on Tripoli by forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar, leader of the military forces of the eastern government. Ankara has since expanded its relations with the eastern camp while maintaining ties with Tripoli.

A senior Turkish official told Al Jazeera that eastern Libya's leaders had come to recognise Ankara's intentions. 'Turkiye is not there to use Libya for its own purposes,' the official said. 'From the very beginning, we have supported a policy of one Libya,' the official added, stressing that the country's stability and resources should benefit all Libyans.

Eastern Libya's strategic shift

The diplomatic outreach has been accompanied by military and intelligence contacts. In May, Defence Minister Yasar Guler met Saddam Haftar and Abdulsalam al-Zoubi, a senior defence official in the Tripoli-based government. Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin also met Saddam Haftar in Benghazi on June 23.

A change in Libya's eastern parliamentary leadership preceded the maritime vote. On October 6, lawmakers replaced Aguila Saleh as parliament speaker with Al-Salhin Abdelnabi al-Obeidi, who previously chaired the Libyan-Turkish parliamentary friendship committee.

Galip Dalay, a senior research fellow at Chatham House, sees Ankara's engagement with its former adversaries as a strategic gain. 'This is not merely a pragmatic or tactical gain. It is a strategic gain for Turkiye,' he told Al Jazeera.

Egypt's diplomatic balancing act

The Libyan eastern parliament's reversal has complicated Egypt's position. Cairo has traditionally supported the eastern leadership but opposes the maritime agreement it has now endorsed. On October 22, Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis announced discussions with Egypt on extending their partial 2020 maritime delimitation agreement eastwards towards Cyprus.

Four days later, Egypt joined Greece, Cyprus, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and the European Union in a statement at the United Nations rejecting the Turkiye-Libya accord. Yet Cairo and Ankara have continued rebuilding their relationship, with Turkiye's land forces commander, General Metin Tokel, visiting Egypt on Monday for an official visit.

The senior Turkish official told Al Jazeera that Ankara remained open to cooperation on maritime boundaries and energy but would defend what it considers its rights. 'Just as other countries say they will not give up the rights they recognise as their own, the same applies to Turkiye,' the official said.

Breakthrough with limits

Greece maintains that the maritime agreement disregards the rights of its islands, including Crete. Turkiye rejects those claims, arguing that islands should not automatically receive the same weight as mainland coastlines when mapping out maritime boundaries and exclusive economic zones.

The parliamentary vote gives Ankara greater political leverage, but it does not settle competing maritime claims or clear the way for offshore energy exploration. Ankara now wants to build on its gains in Libya and improving ties with Egypt to strengthen its position in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The senior Turkish official said Ankara's improved relationship with Cairo had opened the door to discussing those differences directly. 'We can now discuss every issue with Egypt, and we will discuss this one too,' the official said. 'We do not have to seek the approval or consent of unrelated third countries.'