Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, returning to the escalation of tensions, inaugurated the work of a vessel for oil and gas exploration in the Mediterranean Sea. He said: Explorations will continue in Turkish waters and we do not need anyone’s permission. According to TRT TV.
He added: This ship will operate 55 kilometers from the coast of Turkey in an area outside the waters claimed by Cyprus.
Erdogan also said that “many conspiracies were hatched against our energy exploration projects” and emphasized Ankara’s intention to reduce energy dependence on foreign countries.
He emphasized that the new ship, which carries the name “Abdul Hamid Khan”, is a symbol of Turkey’s new vision in the field of energy.
He also pointed out that we are present in the field of energy exploration with four exploratory ships and two geological ships.
Announcing that the ship Abdulhamid Khan is going to the Urukler-1 well, 55 km off the shores of Gazipasa, Antalya, he added: “The Uroklar 1 well is the first step in our commercial master plan in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
The noteworthy point is that the mission of the new ship “Abdulhamid Khan” may once again ignite the fire of the dispute with Greece over gas rights.
NATO partners Turkey and Greece have long been at odds over gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean.
Athens accuses Ankara of illegally drilling for gas reserves on Greek islands. The Turkish government has denied these accusations and considers gas exploration legal. There is a similar conflict with Cyprus.
Source: Lebanon Debate
