Turkey says demarcation deal with Egypt possible

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday that it would be possible for his country to negotiate and sign a maritime demarcation deal in the Eastern Mediterranean with Egypt if the strained relations between the two countries would allow it.

“As the two countries with the longest coastlines in the Eastern Mediterranean, if our ties and the conditions allow it, we can also negotiate a maritime demarcation deal with Egypt and sign it amongst ourselves,” Cavusoglu said, adding that it was positive exploration bids announced by Cairo last month in the East Mediterranean respected Turkey’s continental shelf. 

Turkey signed a similar, illegal, agreement with Libya’s Tripoli-based Government of National Accord in 2019, which was vehemently denounced by Greece as a blatant violation of its sovereignty as it includes areas under its jurisdiction. A Greek-Egyptian demarcation deal last year drew an angry response from Turkey.