Egypt flexes muscles in Mediterranean after Libyan-Turkish agreement
Egypt has conducted extensive military drills in the Mediterranean in a clear response to and a show of strength against the maritime agreement between the Libyan Government of National Accord and Turkey.
CAIRO — Egyptian naval forces conducted military drills Dec. 11 against the backdrop of the Nov. 28 maritime border and security agreement signed by Turkey and the internationally recognized Tripoli-based Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) headed by Fayez al-Sarraj.
The agreement provides for the expansion of security and military cooperation between the two sides and was condemned by Greece and Egypt.
In a Dec. 11 statement, the Egyptian army said these military exercises come in implementation of an Egyptian military strategy aimed at developing its capabilities in the face of the challenges and risks witnessed in the region. The statement added that the military activities included the launch of a submarine anti-ship Harpoon missile with a range of more than 130 kilometers (81 miles). This is in addition to the combat activities of the Mistral-class amphibious assault ship, a helicopter carrier, in the Mediterranean.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry condemned the agreement between the GNA and Turkey and said in a Nov. 28 statement that “such agreements are null and lack legal effect, per Article 8 of the Skhirat Agreement between the warring parties in Libya that was signed in 2015 in Morocco under UN auspices. The agreement specified that the GNA has no prerogative to conclude international agreements without referring back to the Libyan parliament.”
