Turkey to send second drilling ship off Cyprus despite diplomatic row

Despite diplomatic tension, Turkey on Thursday announced that it would send a second drilling ship, the Yavuz, to search for natural gas in the eastern Mediterranean, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

“It will start drilling in early July under a permit received from the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus [KKTC],” Energy Minister Fatih Dönmez told reporters at a press conference in Japan.

Turkey’s activities within Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) are tantamount to an attack on the Republic of Cyprus, government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said, the Kathimerini daily reported on Monday.

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