August is shaping up to be a “hot” month in the Mediterranean as Turkey announced it will take the Abdulhamid Khan drilling rig into the sea. If earlier the Turkish authorities stated that this would happen in the first ten days of August, then on Tuesday evening they named the exact date.
#URGENT Türkiye’s Abdulhamid Han drill ship to start mission in Mediterranean, will leave Mersin port on Aug. 9, says energy minister
— ANADOLU AGENCY (@anadoluagency) July 26, 2022
Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said that “the mission of the rig will be in the Blue Homeland”: “5-6 points are studied, and one of them will be chosen.” In any case, the exact study area will be announced on August 9 by Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself.
Recall that a few days ago, Vice President Fuat Oktay said that the Turkish drilling rig is starting research. Speaking at the July 20 Peace and Freedom Day celebrations held in Occupied Cyprus (TRNC), Oktay, among other things, said that the 7th generation drilling rig “Abdulhamid Han” plays an important role in conducting effective research on the high seas, thanks to its ability to drill at depths up to 12,200 meters.
“Our new drilling rig is due to start operating in the Mediterranean next month,” Oktay said, adding that rights in the Eastern Mediterranean are strongly defended against all sorts of challenges and out of the box initiatives.
Stating that they do not separate the rights and laws of the Turkish Cypriots from their own laws, he pointed out that the hydrocarbon resources of the Mediterranean are not a game for the Greeks. Oktay said:
The president submitted a fair distribution proposal earlier this month. Our President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented his proposal to the European Union. Let’s hold a regional conference, which will be given the right to include the TRNC. Turkey’s position on this issue is clear, the TRNC is open for communication – international law is self-evident. However, the Greek Cypriot side is still trying to find an assistant in the region. No attempt to exclude Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus from the Eastern Mediterranean has been and will not succeed. Rights, justice and equality will speak in the region, and not someone’s helpers. Let everyone know about it.
Attacking the Greek Cypriots and Greece, Oktay emphasized that the Cyprus issue is a national issue and recalled that, like the Turkish side, it is sincerely trying from the very beginning to reach a just, permanent and sustainable solution that will guarantee the legitimate rights and security of the Turks. -Cypriots.
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