Cyprus has formally rejected the Turkey-Libya maritime boundary agreement in a complaint to the United Nations, declaring the 2019 memorandum violates international law and produces no legal consequences for third parties.
In a note verbale dated 18 August 2025 and addressed to the UN Secretary-General, Cyprus’s Permanent Mission stated the memorandum “does not comply with international law” and fails to affect third states’ maritime rights under international law.
The complaint responds to Libya’s notes verbales from May and June 2025, with Cyprus maintaining its long-standing position that the Turkey-Libya agreement lacks legal validity.
Cyprus calls 2019 memorandum violation of international law
The 27 November 2019 memorandum between Turkey and Libya’s Government of National Accord purports to delimit exclusive economic zones and continental shelf boundaries between the two countries’ coasts.
Cyprus argues the agreement “purports a maritime delimitation between two States that do not possess opposite or adjacent coasts, thereby fabricating a non-existent maritime boundary between the two.”
The complaint specifically criticises the memorandum for “deliberately ignoring the presence and maritime entitlements of other coastal States in the region, including Greek islands, such as Crete and the Dodecanese.”
Document ignores Greek islands’ maritime rights, Cyprus says
Cyprus emphasised that Article 121(2) of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea “explicitly provides for the entitlement of islands to a territorial sea, a contiguous zone, a continental shelf and an exclusive economic zone.”
The document notes this provision “reflects customary international law and is, as such, also opposable to States which are non-Parties to the Convention.”
Cyprus further contested Libya’s closing line across the Gulf of Sirte and related straight baseline drawing, stating these “do not comply with the relevant rules of customary international law, as reflected in the Convention, and, thus, do not produce any legal consequences.”
The Republic underscored “the importance of full respect for international law,” noting that maritime delimitation agreements must be concluded between states with opposite or adjacent coasts “in good faith and in accordance with the well-established principles of international law.”
Cyprus acknowledged Libya’s stated readiness to engage in negotiations with neighbouring states for maritime boundary delimitation in accordance with international law.
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