Various media outlets have covered reactions to the Tobruk House of Representatives’ signing of the maritime agreement concerning the delimitation of Mediterranean waters off southern Türkiye and northeastern Libya, related to the extraction of minerals, petroleum, and gas beneath the seabed. This comes seven years after it refused to recognize the legality of the continental shelf agreement and rejected the actions of the previous Tripoli government on the grounds that it lacked the authority to do so.

To begin with, it is necessary to recount the events and circumstances under which this agreement was concluded between Türkiye and Libya—specifically, the Government of National Accord led by Fayez al-Sarraj—in 2019. This occurred during Haftar’s offensive on Tripoli, when the city was being shelled by aircraft and artillery, along with other cities in western Libya. It became evident that Haftar’s forces were struggling to enter the capital. At that point, al-Sarraj—prompted by local forces—went to Türkiye and signed a security agreement. Under its terms, Türkiye supplied local forces with Kornet anti-tank missiles, drones equipped with cameras and bombs, as well as air defense systems. Some young fighters from the brigades were trained on these weapons, which were provided in limited quantities and only to the extent permitted by the United States, as the Turks entered with American approval.

At that time, Türkiye requested al-Sarraj’s government to sign the Libyan–Turkish agreement on maritime border demarcation between Türkiye and Libya. It was ratified by the Turkish parliament and government, but the Tobruk parliament refrained from signing, as it was under Haftar’s control—and behind him, Egypt.

Now, however, after some local forces in western Libya tempted Haftar by offering him the presidency of the Presidential Council under the Boulos project, the price Haftar had to pay was the removal of Aqila Saleh from the presidency of the Tobruk parliament, which had close ties to Egyptian intelligence—especially since Egyptian intelligence was extremely angry about his role in supplying Hemedti with weapons and funds. To cover up his role in the assassination of Al-Mansouri and his exposed involvement in the burning of the storage tanks at the Zawiya refinery, he pushed the Tobruk parliament to sign the maritime border demarcation agreement between Libya and Türkiye, which had been signed by the Tripoli government and Türkiye on November 27, 2019, and deposited with the United Nations.

The agreement stipulated the following clauses:

1. The agreement aims to delineate the continental shelf boundaries within the Exclusive Economic Zone between the southern coasts of Türkiye and the northeastern coasts of Libya in accordance with the ideology of international maritime law (noting the principle of equitable delimitation for opposite coasts).

2.The Basic Clauses of the Memorandum:

- Article 1: Delimitation of Maritime Boundaries — The boundaries of the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zone between the southern coasts of Türkiye and the northern coasts of Libya in the Mediterranean Sea shall commence from Point (A) and terminate at Point (B), as defined by the straight geographical lines connecting the following coordinates:

  - Point (A): Latitude (34° 16′ 13.7″ N), Longitude (26° 19′ 21.1″ E)

  - Point (B): Latitude (34° 09′ 07.9″ N), Longitude (26° 03′ 06.9″ E)

Note: The remaining sub-points along this sector are expressed according to a coordinates map attached to this memorandum.

- Article Two: Maps and Coordinates — The maritime boundaries referenced in Article One shall be delineated on the map attached to this Memorandum of Understanding. Both the map and the geographic coordinates shall form an integral part of the agreement.

- Article Three: International Registration — The two parties agree to register this Memorandum with the Secretariat of the United Nations in accordance with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations.

- Article Four: Dispute Settlement — Any dispute arising between the two parties regarding the interpretation or implementation of this Memorandum shall be resolved through diplomatic channels, mutual understanding, and direct negotiations.

-Article Five: Review and Amendment — This Memorandum may be amended or reviewed at any time with the written consent of both parties, conveyed through diplomatic channels.

- Article Six: Entry into Force — This Memorandum shall enter into force on the date of the last written notification confirming that both countries have completed their respective internal legal procedures.

3.Rights and Obligations Arising from the Agreement:

- Exploration and Exploitation — The agreement grants both Libya and Türkiye sovereign rights to explore and exploit natural resources—including oil, gas, fisheries, and mineral wealth—within the designated areas.

- The agreement stipulates that neither party may enter into negotiations with a third country regarding the delimitation of maritime borders in the Mediterranean Sea that fall within these boundaries without prior notification and coordination between the two signatory parties.

4. Legal Status and Domestic Developments:

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Libyan authorities deposited the agreement with the United Nations in 2020, where it was officially registered.

In reality, this memorandum emboldens the Jews to assert a claim on behalf of their entity to a share of the continental shelf belonging to Palestine. It also serves as a pretext for them to provoke conflict with Lebanon and Egypt under the guise of protecting Palestine’s continental shelf—especially at a time when the Muslims of the region are divided and fragmented, fighting among themselves, united under no single banner and ruled by no single leader.

There was a time, beginning around 50 AH, when the Mediterranean Sea was an Islamic lake, where none of the enemies of Allah could sail without Muslim permission. The war in 1803 CE between the Ottoman governor Yusuf Pasha Karamanli and America—which led to the capture of the massive ship Philadelphia in Tripoli, along with its crew, commanders, and captain—forced America to pay the governor for the release of the detained unit and to pay tribute to the Ottoman governor in Algiers for safe passage through the Mediterranean Sea and entry via the Strait of Gibraltar.

By the Permission of Allah (swt), such a time will soon return, and the Ummah will have no need for the agreements of agent rulers with America and the West. Then the Jewish entity will be uprooted, and Palestine will be purified of its filth—and that is not beyond the power of Allah (swt).