- Title: Turkish ship to begin drilling southwest of Cyprus by Tuesday
- Date: 7th October 2019
- Summary: AT SEA, OFF COAST CYPRUS (FILE - AUGUST 6, 2019) (REUTERS) TURKISH DRILL SHIP YAVUZ IN EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN VARIOUS OF TURKISH FLAG PAINTED ON DRILLING SHIP TURKISH NAVAL FORCES FRIGATE ACCOMPANYING DRILL SHIP VARIOUS OF DRILLING EQUIPMENT ON BOARD OF THE SHIP WORKERS VARIOUS OF DRILLING EQUIPMENT ON BOARD OF THE SHIP TURKISH NAVAL FORCES ESCORTING DRILL SHIP SAILING AT SEA
- Embargoed: 21st October 2019 10:21
- Keywords: Turkey Cyprus drilling natural gas Yavuz
- Location: ANKARA, TURKEY, AT SEA, OFF COAST CYPRUS
- City: ANKARA, TURKEY, AT SEA, OFF COAST CYPRUS
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Government/Politics,International Trade
- Reuters ID: LVA002B03LNBB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The Turkish drill ship Yavuz will begin drilling for oil and gas southwest of Cyprus on Monday (October 7) or Tuesday (October 8), Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said, in a move which has intensified tensions between the two countries.
Ankara said on Thursday (October 3) that it had sent the ship to the area where Greek Cypriot authorities have already awarded hydrocarbon exploration rights to Italian and French companies. Cyprus has accused Turkey of a "severe escalation" of violations of its sovereign rights.
Turkey and Greece are allies in NATO but long at loggerheads over Cyprus, which has been ethnically split between Greek and Turkish Cypriots since 1974.
But the latest development is the first time the two sides have zoomed in on the same area.
On Monday morning the drill ship Yavuz was located at about 50 nautical miles southwest of Cyprus, according to Refinitiv Eikon shipping data.
(Production: Mert Ozkan, Bulent Usta) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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