Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez said that “the ship Abdul Hamid Khan will complete its exploration work in the eastern Mediterranean within 45-60 days” 55 km off the coast of Gazipasa.

Donmez noted that “to date, the ships have carried out 8 exploration works in the eastern Mediterranean”, emphasizing that “these works were carried out in areas of Turkish maritime jurisdiction.” He pointed out that “the excavations provide Turkey with important geological information, even if they did not lead to the discovery of natural resources,” adding that “Turkey has returned to the eastern Mediterranean after two years of stopping drilling.”

On the use of natural gas found in the Black Sea, Donmez said that “the ministry is building an energy base at a depth of 2,200 meters below the surface of the Black Sea waters,” noting that “natural gas extracted from the Black Sea will begin to be used in March 2023.” He expected that “Turkey will not face the problem of natural gas reserves.”