The recent decision of a Libyan Court to suspend the "hydrocarbon exploration agreement", signed last year between the government of Tripoli and Turkey, worries Ankara.
With his statements, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu appeared concerned about the development, making it known that he had already contacted the caretaker Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, receiving assurances that the agreements with Turkey are valid as usual.
"We contacted Dbeibeh. You know that we signed this agreement during our visit on October 3rd. The text is a formal agreement. A memorandum of understanding that does not need to go through the Libyan parliament. Like the other memoranda of understanding signed by Libya with other countries," said the Turkish Foreign Minister.
However, this position is in complete contradiction to the clear UN, US and EU position that the government of Tripoli - based on the commitments it has undertaken - cannot sign new agreements that disrupt the country's external relations or entail long-term obligations.
In his statements, Çavuşoğlu admitted that the court's decision is not final, implying that the Dbeibeh government will appeal, as it has the right to do.
"The court decided to stop the proceedings, but in the end it is a decision and not a final judgement. The Libyan government supports the agreement and they told us that they are doing the necessary work. This cooperation agreement is very important for the Libyan government and state and they told us that they support it and will closely monitor the case," said the Turkish Foreign Minister.
However, there is no reaction from Turkey regarding the statements of the Minister of Oil and Natural Gas of the Dbeibeh caretaker government, Mohamed Aoun, which were interpreted as an "opening" towards Greece, Cyprus and Egypt.
Speaking to Al-Jazeera, and without considering what the illegal Turkish-Libyan memorandum advocates, the Libyan minister spoke of real possibilities to find friendly solutions between the countries in order to reach common agreements on the delimitation of the EEZ in the Eastern Mediterranean.
