The key facts

  • Erdogan called for respect for the 'joint will' of Turkey and Libya after Libya's House of Representatives unanimously approved the 2019 agreement
  • Ankara says it is only defending its rights in maritime zones and advocates peaceful settlement of disputes
  • Erdogan also touched on the visits of the prime ministers of Cambodia and Canada, a trade turnover target with Ottawa of $10 billion, and the 103rd anniversary of the republic

Statement following the Libyan parliament's approval of the agreement

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking on Monday after a cabinet meeting at the presidential complex in Ankara, called on those who, in his words, seek to exclude Turkey from the Eastern Mediterranean to respect the 'joint will' of his country and Libya. According to the Anadolu agency, the statement came days after the House of Representatives, based in eastern Libya, approved the 2019 maritime jurisdiction zones agreement between Turkey and Libya.

Ankara's position and call for dialogue

Erdogan emphasized that Turkey is not trying to 'score a goal' against anyone in the region, but is solely engaged in protecting its rights and interests in maritime jurisdiction zones. Ankara, he said, supports the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue with all coastal states and expects the same constructive approach from all parties, first of all from the European Union. Aggressive rhetoric divorced from reality serves no one, and Turkey does not shape its policy in response to such statements, he added.

Assessment of the Libyan vote

Beyond the Libyan parliament's unanimous vote, Erdogan highlighted that the agreement embodies the principle of 'One Libya, One State,' which Turkey has consistently championed from the very beginning. He also called it important that Libyans, despite political differences, acted together on matters of national interest. Ankara, the president said, no longer wants to see division or discord in Libya or other Muslim countries, and Turkey stood firmly alongside the Libyan people in the most difficult times.

Other topics of the address

In the same address, Erdogan said that over the past weekend Turkey hosted the ninth Istanbul Mediation Conference and meetings of foreign ministers in the R4 and R4+E4 formats, and that Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will visit Ankara on Wednesday. On October 29 the country will mark the 103rd anniversary of the republic together with guests from the Turkic world, and the 13th summit of the Organization of Turkic States lies ahead.

Trade results and goals with Canada

Erdogan also spoke about the visits of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on October 16 and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, which, he said, marked a milestone in 83 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. With Cambodia, trade, investment, energy, education and defense were discussed, and a framework military agreement was signed; with Canada, three agreements were signed — on defense, air transport and energy — along with an understanding to begin negotiations on a free trade agreement by the end of the year. The goal, according to Erdogan, is to increase trade turnover with Canada from roughly $3 billion first to $5 billion, and ultimately to $10 billion.