Greece asks Egypt to block Haftar from backing Turkey-Libya maritime deal

Greece is urging Egypt to help prevent Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar from supporting a contested maritime agreement between Turkey and Libya’s Tripoli-based government, Middle East Eye reports.

The deal, signed in 2019 by Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh and Ankara, redraws maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean, ignoring Greek claims to waters near Crete and Rhodes. The agreement has been a longstanding source of tension between Greece and Turkey.

Libya remains split between two rival governments: Dbeibeh’s UN-recognized administration in the west, backed by Turkey and Western nations, and Haftar’s eastern authority, supported by Egypt, the UAE, and Russia.

While Haftar has historically opposed Turkish involvement in Libya, his stance may be shifting. His son and likely successor, Saddam Haftar, made a high-profile visit to Ankara in April, signaling closer ties with Turkey.

The Greek government fears that any endorsement of the Turkey-Libya deal by Haftar would bolster Ankara’s claims to offshore gas resources in the Mediterranean—resources Greece also wants to develop.

Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis is expected to press the issue in a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty on Wednesday, according to two regional officials familiar with the matter.