Greece’s initiative for the multilateral cooperation framework, known as 5×5, where Mediterranean countries would participate with the ultimate goal of resolving the issue of maritime zones in the Eastern Mediterranean, appears to be facing obstacles. According to sources, the difficulties of the undertaking are significant, which seems to postpone the initiative to the future.
At the same time, however, the competition over sovereignty in the Mediterranean’s maritime zones continues, with Turkey attempting to strengthen its alliance with Libya by intensifying its contacts, while the country’s eastern government and Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar turn against Athens over the Maritime Spatial Planning.
5×5 maritime zones plan hits snags: Turkey escalates Libya game
As the Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak writes “a new “game changer” has begun between Turkey and Libya. The “cooperation” that started with the Tripoli government is now entering a new phase with Khalifa Haftar’s leadership. Mutual visits are taking place, economic cooperations are being built, while long-term plans are in progress. All this creates a new scenario in Turkey’s power game in the Mediterranean and Africa“.
According to the same newspaper “delegations arrive in Turkey one after another, important agreements are signed between Benghazi and Turkish companies, and the Haftar government directly pressures Libya’s House of Representatives to approve the Maritime Jurisdiction Agreement we signed with Libya“.
It’s worth noting, however, that the House of Representatives in Benghazi has not yet ratified the Turkish-Libyan memorandum, despite Ankara’s pressure to give legal force to the agreement that would open the door to its expansionist ambitions in the Mediterranean.
In this context, the reaction of Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli three days ago is also included, who in this way sought to register Turkey’s disagreement with the Greek Maritime Spatial Planning map, following its publication on the European Commission platform website.
The Turkish official turned against Greece accusing it of “violating International Law“. In fact, the announcement stated that “the Greek Maritime Spatial Planning violates Turkey’s jurisdiction in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean“, prompting a strong reaction from the Greek Foreign Ministry which pointed out that “Turkey’s reactions have no basis in EU and international law“.
Analysis by Angelos Syrigos
Professor of International Law, Angelos Syrigos, speaking to parapolitika.gr argues that Turkey, despite its verbal reactions, currently wants to maintain a good climate with Greece because, as he emphasizes, “right now Turkey wants to get F-35s from America, to get engines from America for the KAAN (Turkish fifth-generation fighter). It wants to get meteor missiles for the Eurofighters it will buy, and for all these it has every reason to show “the good boy”. It has no reason to raise the tone very high. So what it did (note: the protest about the Maritime Spatial Planning) was a diplomatic communication. It stated its positions, said what its view is on the issue and will stop there“.
According to Mr. Syrigos, “what’s critical is the tension on the field. Apart from the Agathonisi incident, which was more related to fishing, there doesn’t seem to be particular tension on the field“. The coming weeks will show how Ankara will move and whether the meeting between the Prime Minister and the Turkish President will be scheduled, which has been pending for about a year, after Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ statement that the meeting will take place.
