The leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus (GCASC), Nikos Christodoulides, met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on November 26 in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, and a maritime borders agreement concerning the extraction of oil and natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean was signed. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) declared that the agreement on the delimitation of maritime jurisdictions signed between Lebanon and the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus (GCASC) is entirely invalid. It was emphasized that the agreement not only violates the legitimate rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people alone, but also carries the risk of fundamentally shaking the already fragile balances in the Eastern Mediterranean. The TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs underlined that it will not refrain from taking the necessary political, diplomatic, and technical measures against any attack on the TRNC’s equal rights to natural resources.
“Lebanese cabinet approved the agreement suspended for 18 years”
The statement said, “The Lebanese government announced in its Cabinet meeting dated October 23, 2025, that the agreement on the delimitation of maritime jurisdictions reached with the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus (GCASC) in 2007 was approved after remaining suspended for approximately 18 years.”
“A unilateral initiative aimed at usurping the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people”
The statement included the following expressions:
“The aforementioned agreement is a new element of the unilateral initiatives pursued by the Greek Cypriot side since 2003 to usurp the equal rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people on the Island and in the Eastern Mediterranean. This agreement, signed in disregard of the Turkish Cypriot people who have sovereign equal rights on the Island of Cyprus, is entirely invalid like the previous ones. Despite all the warnings from the Turkish Cypriot side and the realities in the region, the Greek Cypriot Administration, emboldened by the encouragement it receives from the international community, continues to take steps contrary to international law by acting under the delusion that it represents the entire Island. These political faits accomplis not only violate the legitimate rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people, but also carry the risk of fundamentally shaking the already fragile balances in the Eastern Mediterranean. As we have stated many times in the past as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, our determined stance to protect the sovereign equal rights of the Turkish Cypriot side over the natural resources on and around the Island will continue. It is clear that a fair, mutually respectful, and cooperation-oriented order in the region can only be possible through agreements made with the mutual consent of the two sides and on an equal status.”
“Arrangements made with third countries are null and void”
The statement said, “In this framework, all unilateral maritime jurisdiction area arrangements made or continued to be made by the GCASC with third parties, including Lebanon, are, from the perspective of the TRNC, null and void, like the similar arrangements made before.
The TRNC has the will to take the necessary steps both in its own coastal jurisdiction areas and on all matters concerning the common rights of the Turkish Cypriot people across the Island, and will not refrain from taking the necessary political, diplomatic and technical measures against any attack on their equal rights to natural resources.
Call to the international community
In the statement, which said, “We call on the international community not to support the unilateral steps of the Greek Cypriot side that escalate tension in the region; and we invite the relevant states not to be a party to arrangements made without the consent of both sides, taking into account the sensitivities of the Cyprus issue,” the statement said, “The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, while continuing to protect its rights and interests with the support of the Motherland Republic of Turkey, will continue to act with the belief that cooperation and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean can only be possible through respect for acquired rights and dialogue.”
Statement from Turkey
Turkey also reacted to the agreements between the GASC and Lebanon. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Öncü Keçeli made a statement regarding the Exclusive Economic Zone Delimitation Agreement signed between Lebanon and the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus. The statement said, “We would like to remind that the GASC does not represent Turkish Cypriots or the entire Island and is not authorized to take such dispositions concerning the entire Island.”
The statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is as follows:
“Since 2003, the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus (GASC) has been signing bilateral agreements with coastal states in the region regarding the delimitation of maritime areas around the Island of Cyprus, disregarding the Turkish Cypriots, who are the sovereign equal element of the Island of Cyprus.
Most recently, the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Delimitation Agreement, which was concluded between Lebanon and the GASC in 2007 but had not entered into force, was re-signed between the two countries yesterday (November 26).
Although the area subject to the aforementioned agreement falls outside the Turkish continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean, which we registered with the UN on March 18, 2020, our country approaches the issue within the context of the Cyprus issue and the rights of Turkish Cypriots.
The signing of such an agreement with the GASC by Lebanon or other coastal states in the region is of direct concern to the equal rights and interests of Turkish Cypriots over the Island.
We would like to remind that the GASC does not represent Turkish Cypriots or the entire Island and is not authorized to take such dispositions concerning the entire Island.
We call on the international community, especially the countries of the region, not to support these unilateral steps of the GASC and not to be instruments of attempts to usurp the legitimate rights and interests of Turkish Cypriots, who are the sovereign and equal element of the Island.
Turkey, together with the TRNC, will continue to resolutely defend the rights and interests of Turkish Cypriots.”
