Türkiye said on Wednesday, October 28, that it is ready to sign a maritime boundary agreement with Egypt, claiming Cairo would gain more than 15,000 square kilometres of additional maritime jurisdiction compared with a possible agreement with Greece, according to the state-run TRT Haber as reported from the Turkish Defence Ministry's weekly briefing.

Source: TRT Haber via Turkish Defence Ministry, reported by Turkish Minute

Speaking after the briefing, Defence Ministry spokesperson Rear Admiral Zeki Aktürk reiterated Ankara's willingness to conclude an agreement based on mutual interests. “If Egypt signs such an agreement with our country, it is assessed that it would gain more than 15,000 square kilometres of additional maritime jurisdiction compared with a potential agreement with Greece,” Aktürk said. The figure is Türkiye's assessment, not an agreed measurement.

A new offer after an earlier, disputed deal

The offer is a new development in a chain Awaaz Punjab has already reported: on October 20, Libya's House of Representatives approved the 2019 Türkiye-Libya maritime memorandum, reversing its earlier rejection, and Greece then rejected that approval as without legal effect. The Turkish ministry welcomed the Libyan vote on Wednesday as support for Ankara's approach, which it says rests on international law and equity.

Egypt rejected the Libyan parliament's ratification last week, saying the Türkiye-Libya memorandum violated its rights within its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf and carried no legal consequences for Cairo. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty reiterated that position during talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Istanbul on Friday, according to Egypt's State Information Service, which said Fidan expressed understanding of Cairo's concerns and supported continued consultations.

Source: Egypt State Information Service, reported by EuropeSays

15,000+ sq kmadditional maritime jurisdiction Türkiye says Egypt would gain versus a Greece deal — Ankara's assessment
2020year Greece and Egypt signed their partial maritime boundary agreement, which Türkiye rejects
Oct 20, 2026Libya's House of Representatives approved the 2019 Türkiye-Libya memorandum

No negotiations announced, and no reply from Cairo

The ministry did not announce negotiations with Egypt or a timetable for an agreement, and Egypt has not publicly responded to the latest Turkish offer. Greece and Egypt signed a partial maritime boundary agreement in 2020, which Türkiye rejects as null and void, and Athens and Cairo are now discussing extending that agreement eastwards towards Cyprus.

Ankara and Cairo have gradually rebuilt ties over the past three years after a long chill. In July, Egypt's Defence Minister, Lt. Gen. Ashraf Salem Zaher, met his Turkish counterpart Yaşar Güler in Ankara, and the two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding for defence cooperation.

Why the map matters

Eastern Mediterranean boundaries decide who can license oil and gas exploration in waters several states claim. A Türkiye-Egypt deal on Ankara's terms would redraw that map at Greece's and Cyprus's expense — which is why Cairo's silence, and its existing deal with Athens, matter as much as Ankara's offer.