The Republic of Cyprus has reiterated its longstanding opposition to the 2019 maritime accord signed between Turkey and Libya, calling it a violation of international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
In a letter to the UN Secretary-General, Cyprus stressed that the agreement “does not conform with international law, particularly the rules governing the conclusion of treaties, as well as the Law of the Sea as codified in UNCLOS.”
The Cypriot letter, which also references previous communications sent to the UN in January, April, and July 2020, emphasizes that the memorandum “produces no legal effects for third parties and does not affect the rights of other states over maritime zones, including their sovereign rights under international law.”
Legal objections of Cyprus to the Turkey-Libya memorandum
Nicosia argues that the 2019 accord, which claims to delimit maritime boundaries between Turkey and Libya, is legally flawed because the two countries do not share adjacent or opposite coastlines.
By creating what it calls a “non-existent maritime boundary,” the deal disregards the presence and rights of neighboring coastal states, particularly Greece and its islands, including Crete and the Dodecanese.
Special reference is made to Article 121 of UNCLOS, which enshrines the customary principle that islands have the same maritime entitlements as continental land.
“The article explicitly recognizes the right of islands to territorial seas, contiguous zones, continental shelves and Exclusive Economic Zones,” the letter from Cyprus on the maritime deal between Libya and Turkey notes, underscoring that these provisions bind all states, even those that are not parties to the convention.
Dispute over the Gulf of Sirte
The document further challenges Libya’s drawing of baselines in the Gulf of Sirte, stating that both the closure line of the gulf and the straight baselines are inconsistent with customary international law as codified in UNCLOS.
As a result, Cyprus argues, as drawn up in the accord between Libya and Turkey, they have no legal validity or effect.
Cyprus call for respect of international law by Libya and Turkey
The Cypriot government emphasized that agreements on maritime delimitation must be concluded “between states with opposite or adjacent coasts, in good faith and in accordance with established principles of international law.” These principles, Nicosia noted, are enshrined in UNCLOS and guided by international jurisprudence.
At the same time, Cyprus acknowledged Libya’s declared readiness to engage in negotiations with all neighboring states to establish maritime boundaries in line with international law, describing this as a positive development.
Request for UN circulation
The letter, submitted by the Permanent Mission of Cyprus to the UN, requests that the document be circulated as an official record of both the General Assembly, under agenda item 75, and the Security Council.
It also calls for its publication on the website of the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea and inclusion in a forthcoming issue of the Law of the Sea Bulletin.
By formally restating its objections at the United Nations, Cyprus seeks to reinforce its legal and diplomatic position against the Turkey-Libya accord, which it views as undermining the sovereign rights of coastal states in the Eastern Mediterranean.
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