A maritime jurisdiction deal Libya approved years after its signing with Türkiye was on the agenda of Devlet Bahçeli as he addressed fellow lawmakers of his Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), part of the ruling People’s Alliance, on Tuesday.

The deal, which confirms maritime delimitation between the two countries, has irritated the European Union, which counts Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, two opponents of the deal, among its members.

Bahçeli told the parliamentary group meeting of his party in Ankara that they "noted that those disturbed by the friendly relations between Türkiye and Libya have voiced their outrage over this development.”

"It has immediately become clear that Greece, the Greek Cypriot administration, Israel, which is provoking them against Türkiye, and the European Union, which does not hesitate to criticize Türkiye based on Greek and Greek Cypriot positions under the guise of ‘union solidarity,’ are all troubled by this development. The joint press statement issued by the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council has exposed the EU’s contradictory approach and desperation,” Bahçeli said, referring to a statement that defined the agreement as "null and void” and an "infringement on the sovereign rights of third countries.”

"All officials in Brussels must understand that lecturing Türkiye, dictating its course and instructing it on what it can or cannot do is beyond the bounds of what Europe, like anyone else, can presume to do to a country such as Türkiye, which has the power and will to make and implement decisions fully independently and solely in line with its own interests. Neither Türkiye nor Libya is obliged to act in accordance with their expectations and demands. Furthermore, respecting the sovereign rights of countries bordering the Mediterranean would be the most legally and politically appropriate course of action for everyone,” he said.

Libya's House of Representatives unanimously approved the maritime boundary agreement last month, marking a significant development in the long-running dispute over maritime jurisdiction in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Originally signed in November 2019 between Türkiye and Libya's former U.N.-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), the memorandum establishes maritime boundaries between the two Mediterranean countries.

Ankara maintains that the agreement safeguards both countries' sovereign rights and counters what it considers excessive maritime claims by Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration.

Athens, however, rejects the agreement, arguing that it disregards the maritime rights of Greek islands and violates international maritime law.

"The reactions from the European Union, Greece and other actors carry little significance from a legal standpoint, as international law recognizes agreements concluded between sovereign states,” Ufuk Necat Taşçı, assistant professor of International Relations at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, told Daily Sabah on Oct. 21, stressing that the agreement had already been registered with the U.N., and it now enjoys broad support across Libya’s political and military leadership, including the parliament, the western-based government and military forces in both eastern and western Libya.

Riots in Europe

Bahçeli was also sardonic about riots and protests that gripped Europe in the past few weeks, from France to Germany, as students and others dissatisfied with the state policies took to the streets. "The European Union should remind its member states about its sensitivity to basic rights and freedoms, as well,” Bahçeli said, in a pushback to criticism of Türkiye by the bloc in the past on rights and freedoms.

"The social movements that began in France and spread to other countries evolved in a short time into violent riots disrupting public order and peace. Europeans should examine the underlying causes of violent riots. Europe sought political gains for a long time through Islamophobia, Turkophobia and anti-migrant sentiments. Now, the seeds of strife they sowed have hit them,” he stated.