Greece Faces Unified Libyan Front as Haftar Aligns with Turkey

Greece Faces Unified Libyan Front as Haftar Aligns with Turkey

*By Antonis Telopoulos

Greeceis confronting a new diplomatic crisis in the Eastern Mediterraneanafter both Turkey and rival factions in Libya launched coordinatedchallenges to Athens’ maritime claims, deepening a complexgeopolitical standoff that threatens to reignite regional tensions.

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Thestatement accused Athens of violating Libyan rights and called forthe suspension of an ongoing licensing tender for offshore blocks.

Thismarks the first time Mr. Haftar’s administration has publiclyaligned with the Tripoli government and, by extension, Turkey, whichsigned a contentious maritime accord with Libya in 2019.

Thealignment of both Libyan governments with Ankara casts doubt onGreece’s strategy of balancing regional diplomacy while defendingits sovereign rights.

Thedevelopments are a direct response to Greece’s recent submission ofits first official Maritime Spatial Plan to the European Union’sonline platform.

Thedocument outlines the furthest extents of Greece’s potentialExclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf based on internationallaw, without drawing legally binding boundaries.

Inretaliation, Turkey submitted its own maritime plan to UNESCO, itsfirst attempt to internationalize its revisionist “Blue Homeland”doctrine.

TheTurkish map, which effectively splits the Aegean Sea in half,includes sweeping territorial claims that disregard the maritimerights of Greek islands, asserting that small islands and islets arenot entitled to their own maritime zones.

Greece’sForeign Ministry dismissed the Turkish submission as legallybaseless, vowing to defend its positions in international forums.

Still,the pressure has intensified. The Tripoli-based Government ofNational Unity joined Turkey in rejecting Greece’s southern Creteexploration zone, claiming it overlaps with the area covered by the2019 Turkey-Libya memorandum—a deal Greece and the European Unionhave condemned as illegitimate.

GreekForeign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis had been preparing a diplomaticvisit to Libya in an effort to prevent the Tobruk-based parliamentfrom ratifying the Turkish-Libyan accord.

Thateffort now appears severely undermined. Despite previously signalingwillingness to host the Greek foreign minister, Mr. Haftar’s camphas escalated its stance, leaving Athens exposed to shiftingloyalties in Libya’s fractured political landscape.

InParliament on Monday, Mr. Gerapetritis called Libya’s reaction“predictable” but firmed Greece’s stance, stating the country“does not hesitate to exercise its sovereign rights in practice”and will only engage in dialogue within the framework ofinternational law.

Meanwhile,the Environment and Energy Ministry, speaking through press leaks,reiterated that Athens operates fully within the United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea and remains open to diplomacy.

Mr.Haftar’s maneuver complicates Athens' assumptions about itsregional alliances. Although his administration had maintainedcordial ties with Greece and indicated skepticism about the Turkishdeal, his latest statement suggests he may be leveraging thesituation to gain military and financial concessions from Ankara.

Theambiguity underscores the fragility of Athens’ diplomatic inroadsin Libya and increases pressure on the Mitsotakis government tosecure firmer backing from reliable partners.

Greeceis now considering filing diplomatic protests and legal appeals withinternational bodies.

Itis also moving to deepen ties with Egypt, a key regional ally thathas opposed the Turkey-Libya maritime deal and backs Mr. Haftar’sfaction militarily.

WhetherMr. Haftar’s shift proves tactical or permanent will shape the nextphase of Greek strategy in a region where alliances are fluid andmaritime claims are highly combustible.

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