World · 2026-10-20 · Afternoon briefing

Eastern Libya ratifies maritime deal with Turkey, a blow to Greece

Libya's eastern parliament on Tuesday approved a controversial maritime delimitation agreement with Turkey, unifying the country's position behind a deal that bolsters Turkish claims in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Benghazi-based House of Representatives also formally revoked a 2020 boycott against Ankara. The original pact was signed in 2019 by Turkey and Libya's internationally recognised government in Tripoli to counter rival claims by Greece and Cyprus.

The approval marks a significant diplomatic victory for Ankara, which has spent years cultivating ties with eastern Libya's de facto ruler, Khalifa Haftar, and his son Saddam. The move reverses Haftar's previous deference to pressure from Greece, which opposed the deal. It follows months of negotiations, a visit by Turkey's foreign minister to Benghazi in August, and Haftar's replacement of the parliamentary speaker earlier this month.

The agreement challenges efforts by Greece, Cyprus, Israel and the UAE to contain Turkey's influence in Libya. For the Haftars, it cements their power and could be a precursor to a US-backed deal to merge Libya's rival administrations. The rapprochement may also have wider effects, with analysts suggesting it could lead to eastern Libyan forces withdrawing support for the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan's civil war.

Summary written by Cup of News with AI from the sources below. Check the originals for the full story.

Read the sources

• Eastern Libya Parliament Approves Maritime Deal With Turkey, Lifts 2020 Boycott
• Libya parliament approves Türkiye-Libya maritime agreement, reverses previous stance
• Libya ratifies 2019 maritime deal with Türkiye in landmark move
• Libyan Parliament Reverses Course, Approves Türkiye Maritime Deal
• Munir meets Haftar amid $4 bn defence deal talks. Why Pakistan & eastern Libya are strengthening ties

More stories in this edition

1. Russian drones strike Kyiv hospital amid city-wide barrage
2. Zelensky meets US envoy in Oslo as relations with Washington sour
3. Sudan drone strikes kill dozens as UN decries civilian toll
4. Azerbaijan bans headscarves in schools, reviving Soviet-era curbs
5. Romania forms new government, ending five-month political crisis
6. Violent cost-of-living protests spread across Europe
7. Malawi families face K1.15m monthly cost of essentials
8. China's underground lab prepares to weigh the neutrino
9. US science funding delays leave researchers in the dark

Read the whole edition