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Turkey resumes its energy exploration mission in eastern Mediterranean sea, sends drill ship in two years

Ankara sent the Abdulhamid Han drill ship in its first eastern Mediterranean energy exploration mission in almost two years. The ship was sent to an undisputed area, around 55 kilometres south of the city of Gazipasa.

TN World Desk

Updated Aug 10, 2022, 03:59 IST

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during sending-off ceremony of the Abdulhamid Han drill ship on August 9, 2022

Photo : AP

Ankara: Turkey on Tuesday resumed its energy exploration mission in the eastern Mediterranean sea. Ankara sent the Abdulhamid Han drill ship in its first eastern Mediterranean energy exploration mission in almost two years, reported AFP.

The ship was sent to an undisputed area, around 55 kilometres south of the city of Gazipasa. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ignored Greek and Cypriot objections to such kinds of missions.

Erdogan said that Turkey had the right to explore energy in areas that it claims to be its own. "The Abdulhamid Han is the symbol of Turkey's new vision in the area of energy," Erdogan said as reported by AFP. The sending-off ceremony was held in the southern city of Mersin.

Notably, tensions between Turkey and Greece rose after Ankara sent a seismic research vessel and a drill ship into contested waters. These waters were also claimed by Greece and Cyprus. In August of that year, Greek and Turkish warships were engaged in a small collision in the Mediterranean when they were on one of their exploration missions.

Also Read: Turkey to resume gas exploration in Mediterranean on August 9, says Energy Ministry.

The designated area for Abdulhamid Han is north of Cyprus, reported AFP. The area is distant from the disputed regions. However, Erdogan warned that the ship would go to other wells and continue to search for gas. He said that Turkey did not require anyone's permission to carry out drilling work in the Mediterranean in areas which are in its jurisdiction.

Earlier this year in March, Erdogan had also cut diplomatic ties with the Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis as the latter opposed the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey during a visit to the United States. Both the nations are also at odds over Cyprus.

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