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Turkey pushed back on Friday against the conclusions of the European Union summit, which again criticized a 2019 maritime agreement between Turkey and Libya.
The deal, which outlines boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean, has drawn objections from EU members Greece and Cyprus. Turkey's Foreign Ministry defended the agreement as legal and accused its critics of taking an extreme stance.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli called the positions of Greece and Cyprus, which Turkey refers to as the "Greek Cypriot Administration," “maximalist,” and said their claims go against international law and the principle of fairness.
Keceli said the Turkey–Libya maritime memorandum “is fully consistent with international law” and shows that “our country will never allow its legitimate rights and interests to be violated.”
He also criticized the European Union’s remarks as “politically motivated and biased,” saying the issue of maritime boundaries is both legal and technical, and that the EU’s stance does not contribute to regional peace or stability.
“Turkey will continue to resolutely defend its legitimate rights in the Eastern Mediterranean within the framework of international law,” Keceli said.
Ankara urged the EU to call on its member states to respect international law rather than, in Turkey’s view, support maritime claims that lack legal basis.
