Turkey to launch second drilling vessel for natural gas operations near Cyprus
Reuters reports that Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez announced that Turkey will launch a second drilling vessel, the Yavuz, on Thursday that will begin natural gas operations near Cyprus at the beginning of July.
The Turkish government already has a ship, called Fatih, in the region.
Turkey and the internationally recognised Cypriot government have overlapping claims of jurisdiction for offshore oil and gas research in that part of the Mediterranean, an area thought to be rich in natural gas.
Donmez emphasized that those who try to push Turkey out of the energy equation in the eastern Mediterranean are aware that there is no realistic solution without Turkey but they cannot express this.
Breakaway north Cyprus, supported by Turkey, claims a share in any offshore wealth as a partner in the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960.
