Turkey will resume natural gas exploration in the Mediterranean on August 9. Ankara announced it. The demarche could put pressure on relations with Greece and Cyprus again.
The Turkish ship Adbulhamid Han will begin its mission on August 9 from the port of Mersin in southern Turkey, according to a communiqué from the Turkish Ministry of energy.
Exactly where Turkey is going to look for gas has not been disclosed, but Ankara had already announced last week that it would resume activities quickly. “We firmly defend our rights to the Mediterranean,” Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said during a visit to Northern Cyprus, the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic.
Greece has long accused Turkey of illegally seeking oil and gas off the Greek islands. Turkey claims that the area in the eastern Mediterranean is under Turkish control.
The situation temporarily calmed down after the start of talks between Ankara and Athens in 2021, but recently flared up again. For example, both countries accuse the other of violating each other’s airspace.
