Turkey-Libya agreement: A move with consequences

Source:Ekathimerini Date:01Dec2019

A rare diplomatic victory for Turkey

Signing such an agreement is a strategic move for Turkey, as it gives it the superficial legitimacy it so lacks in order to move in on the area. It could create a wall that would prevent Greece from developing its sovereign rights in the Eastern Mediterranean continental shelf. It would confirm what Ankara has been arguing for years: that the islands are not entitled to a continental shelf under law. And last but not least, it would shift the point of contention from the Kastellorizo continental shelf to that of Crete.

The bad thing is that even though it is illegal, from the moment that it is signed, such a deal can only be overturned if Libya backs out of the agreement or by recourse to international justice – and Turkey will never accept the latter alternative. So, if the delineation has been signed, no matter how illegal, it will always stand in Greece’s path.