A Turkish drillship, the Yavuz is apparently headed to the same area off Paphos, where another Turkish drillship, the Fatih is carrying out natural gas exploration, it emerged on Thursday.
According to MarineTraffic, the Yavuz was about four nautical miles from the Fatih on Thursday morning.
The Yavuz had been anchored at the port of Mersin after completing drilling operations off Karpasia.
The vessel was dispatched by Turkey to the Karpas area in late June and was said to have started drilling in July.
Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said last week that the drillship would be starting its second operation in the area without specifying the location.
Turkey disputes Cyprus ownership of fossil fuels in the area, arguing that Turkish Cypriots are entitled to a share of the resources. Ankara also has its own claims in the area.
Meanwhile a September 19 statement issued by Turkey in response to agreements Cyprus signed with French Total and Italian ENI on block 7, has been circulated by Ankara as an official UN document.
Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson, Hami Aksoy said at the time that “a section of the so-called licenced area number 7 remains within the Turkish continental shelf, which has been registered with the United Nations.”
He added that Turkey would in no way allow any foreign country, company or vessel to engage in unauthorised hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation activities within its maritime jurisdiction areas and will continue to take the necessary measures to protect its rights and interests.
Cyprus replied that block 7 lies within the EEZ/continental shelf of Cyprus, in a marine area to the south-west of the island, already delimited in accordance with international law, between the Republic and Egypt under the 2003 EEZ Delimitation Agreement.
“The exploration and/or exploitation of Block 7 is an exclusive sovereign right of Cyprus and does not affect the rights of any third state, including Turkey,” the ministry said.
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