Tensions have emerged between Turkey and Lebanon following the maritime border demarcation agreement signed on November 26 between Lebanon and Cyprus, which paves the way for bilateral cooperation in energy development and natural gas exploration.

The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported that a meeting held last week between Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, on the sidelines of the Doha Economic Forum, was described as “tense and negative.” The friction reportedly stemmed from Turkey’s dissatisfaction with Lebanon’s decision to sign the maritime boundary and exclusive economic zone agreement with Cyprus without any coordination with Ankara or Damascus.

According to the report, Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan told Prime Minister Salam that Ankara views the agreement as an “unjustified violation of regional balances” and as a disregard for countries that consider themselves directly involved in maritime border arrangements in the Eastern Mediterranean.