Turkey’s energy minister said on Thursday that a Turkish research ship will set sail for the Mediterranean to start oil and gas exploration.
Taner Y?ld?z said the seismic research ship, the Piri Reis, would head for the Mediterranean on Friday.
On Wednesday,Turkey marked its marine borders with Turkish Cyprus for offshore oil and gas drilling in response to a similar move by the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot half of the divided island.
Y?ld?z said Turkey would be exploring off the northern half of the island.
He said however, that some areas earmarked for exploration by Turkey”clashed” with those of the Greek Cypriot administration. He did not rule out future Turkish exploration in those areas too.
Greek Cypriot leader urged the United Nations to tell Turkey to back off from threats over the divided island’s offshore oil and gas drilling.
Dimitris Christofias told the UN General Assembly on Thursday those Turkish naval maneuvers off the island’s south coast where US firm Noble Energy is carrying out exploratory drilling constitutes a “provocative and real danger” for the region.
Turkey strongly opposes drilling by the island’s internationally recognized Greek Cypriot administration, saying it undermines the rights of Turkish Cypriots and “sabotages” ongoing reunification talks.
