Bloomberg: Turkey and Libya Close to Gas Exploration Deal

According to Bloomberg, Turkey and Libya are preparing to sign an agreement for natural gas exploration, based on the 2019 memorandum. The Libyan eastern parliament is expected to vote on the memorandum, allowing Turkey to conduct research in Libyan waters.

The agreement could lead to oil and gas exploration by Turkish ships in an area between Crete and Turkey, strengthening Ankara's claims in the eastern Mediterranean and potentially sparking a dispute with Greece and Cyprus.

It also signifies an improvement in relations between Turkey and Khalifa Haftar, with a Turkish naval corvette visiting Benghazi. Turkey also seeks to salvage business contracts worth billions of dollars affected by the conflicts in Libya.

Greece announced a tender for the exploration of energy deposits south of Crete, a move contested by Libya. The European Union has expressed concerns that the Turkey-Libya agreement violates the sovereign rights of third countries.