Turkish president urges respect for Türkiye-Libya 'joint will' in Eastern Mediterranean

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday called on regional powers seeking to exclude Türkiye from the Eastern Mediterranean to respect the "joint will" of Ankara and Tripoli, warning that his government would not hesitate to defend national interests as Libya's parliament ratified the 2019 maritime jurisdiction agreement days earlier. Speaking following a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Erdogan emphasized that Türkiye is not attempting to outmaneuver any state in the region but is focused strictly on safeguarding its maritime jurisdiction rights.

Maritime boundaries

"We are not, so to speak, trying to score against anyone in the Eastern Mediterranean," Erdogan said, adding that Ankara is only concerned with protecting its rights and interests regarding maritime jurisdiction areas. His remarks came after Libya's eastern-based House of Representatives approved the 2019 maritime jurisdiction agreement between Türkiye and Libya, a pact that delineates exclusive economic zones in the Mediterranean.

Libya unity

Erdogan stressed Türkiye's desire to see Libya overcome its internal divisions, stating that Ankara no longer wishes to see discord in the North African nation or any other Muslim country. "As Türkiye, we no longer want to see division or discord in Libya or any other Muslim country," he said, expressing hope that this aspiration would become reality.

Foreign policy compass

The Turkish leader framed national interest as the guiding principle of Ankara's diplomacy, declaring that Türkiye's "sole compass in both politics and foreign policy is Türkiye's interests." "We will never hesitate to do what is right and beneficial for Türkiye and the Turkish nation, even if it comes at a cost," Erdogan added. He also highlighted the upcoming 13th summit of the Organization of Turkic States, noting that Ankara would continue working to extinguish conflicts and alleviate suffering in the wider region.