CHP Chairman Özgür Özel reacted to the statements made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen regarding the maritime jurisdiction memorandum signed between Turkey and Libya.
In a statement on his social media account, Özel stated that they reject von der Leyen's assessments regarding the agreement, emphasizing that Turkey's rights and interests are above domestic political divisions.
We reject the statements by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen targeting the maritime jurisdiction agreement between Turkey and Libya. Turkey and Libya are two sovereign states. Agreements made in line with their mutual rights and interests cannot be ignored due to political preferences.
In his statement, Özel argued that the European Union should act on the basis of equity and international law instead of taking sides in the tensions in the Mediterranean.
For us, Turkey's rights and interests are above all our domestic political divisions. We will continue to defend our country's rights and interests on every platform and to stand against your arrogant stance that has lost its impartiality.
THE EU'S STATEMENT AND LIBYA'S DECISION
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had reacted to the Libyan House of Representatives' approval of the maritime jurisdiction memorandum signed with Turkey in 2019.
Stating that the EU's position established in 2019 has not changed, von der Leyen claimed that the agreement violates the sovereign rights of third states, does not comply with the Law of the Sea, and is "null and void." The EU Commission President also sent a message of solidarity with Greece and Cyprus.
The eastern-based House of Representatives in Libya approved the Memorandum of Understanding on the Delimitation of Maritime Jurisdiction Areas in the Mediterranean, signed with Turkey on November 27, 2019, on October 20. It was also reported that the boycott decision taken against Turkey in 2020 was lifted in the same session.
The change in stance by the eastern Libyan administration, which had previously opposed the memorandum signed by Turkey with the Tripoli-based government, has brought the maritime jurisdiction debates in the Eastern Mediterranean back to the agenda. While Greece argues that the agreement violates the continental shelf and exclusive economic zone rights of its islands, Turkey states that the memorandum is in accordance with international law and principles of equity.
News Source: 12punto
