Libya's Vice President Musa al-Koni has publicly accused Greece of overreaching, telling Turkey's Anadolu agency that Gr...

Libya's Vice President Musa al-Koni has publicly accused Greece of overreaching, telling Turkey's Anadolu agency that Greece "seeks more than it is entitled to" in its objection to the 2019 Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum. Al-Koni's remarks came after Libya's House of Representatives unanimously approved the deal, which was originally signed on November 27, 2019 and entered into force on December 7 of that year. Al-Koni dismissed Greece's position bluntly, saying the difference between the two sides is that Libya claims its rights while Greece "demands more than is due." He then challenged Athens to take the matter to international arbitration, claiming Greece refuses to do so because "it knows it is not right." He also called it "truly sad" that Greece leans on EU backing rather than standing on legal merit. On the economic front, al-Koni predicted that parliamentary approval would "open the doors wide for Turkey in Libya," anticipating major Turkish companies operating across Libyan oil and gas fields. He described Turkey as "a mediator that takes a position," a phrase that signals Ankara's role goes well beyond neutral facilitation. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking to Anadolu from Brussels Wednesday, called the memorandum "absolutely legal" and said there is "no reason to discuss it." Fidan argued that what the Libyan House of Representatives did was an act of acceptance rather than new ratification, maintaining that Ankara has considered the deal valid since 2019. The speaker of Libya's House of Representatives echoed that framing, calling the vote a "sovereign decision" that harms no other country. Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş also welcomed the approval. Greece has consistently rejected the memorandum, arguing it ignores the existence of Greek islands and violates international maritime law. #Greece #Libya #EasternMediterranean