Istanbul, July 27, (dpa/GNA) - Turkey plans to send another drilling ship to the Mediterranean Sea, thus risking a rekindling of a dispute with Greece about gas rights.
The drilling ship Abdülhamid Han will set off for the Mediterranean from the southern Turkish port of Mersin on August 9, Energy Minister Fatih Dönmez said in an interview with Turkish media outlet Haber Global late on Tuesday.
The minister did not name the exact location, meaning it is unclear whether the ship would be deployed in disputed waters.
NATO partners Turkey and Greece have long been at loggerheads about gas deposits in the eastern Mediterranean. Athens accuses Ankara of illegally exploring for gas deposits there. The Turkish government rejects the accusations and takes the view that gas exploration is legal. There is a similar conflict with Cyprus.
In 2020, the dispute escalated after Turkey sent its research vessel Oruç Reis to the eastern Mediterranean on a months-long search for gas.
Greece strongly condemned the exploration and massively rearmed in response.
The EU has also repeatedly condemned Turkey’s activities and imposed sanctions because of drilling off Cyprus.
The Oruç Reis ended its explorations at the end of November 2020 and returned to port. As a result, relations with Greece and Cyprus initially eased again.
GNA