ENERGY: Turkish ship posed to begin new illegal drill off Cyprus

The Turkish drillship Yavuz will begin drilling for oil and gas off Cyprus by Tuesday, Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said, in a move that will stoke regional tension.

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Ankara announced last week it had sent the vessel to block 7 where Cyprus has already awarded hydrocarbon exploration rights to Italy’s Eni and France’s Total.

Cyprus has accused Turkey of a “severe escalation” of violations of its sovereign rights with the issue to be raised at an EU summit next week.

“All preparations have been completed, and it (Yavuz) will start its first drilling in the area either today or tomorrow,” Donmez told an energy conference on Monday.

Turkey has already conducted illegal operations in Cyprus waters to the east and west of the island, triggering strong protests from Nicosia while the European Union has imposed sanctions and threatens more punishment.

Turkey and Greece are allies in NATO but have long been at loggerheads over Cyprus.

This latest development is the first time that Turkey has targeted a licensed block off Cyprus. The United States and Brussels has warned Turkey not to engage in “illegal” drilling activity in the area.

On Monday, Yavuz was located about 50 nautical miles (90 km) southwest of Cyprus, Refinitiv Eikon shipping data showed. (source Reuters)