Turkey to send research ship to the eastern Mediterranean

Turkey on Oct 12 announced plans to send the research ship to conduct seismic survey in eastern Mediterranean again.

According to the Turkish navy, the Oruç Reis vessel would carry out activities in the region, including the south of the Greek island of Kastellorizo, from Monday until October 22 in a message sent to the maritime alert system NAVTEX.    

The Oruç Reis will carry out seismic studies in the Eastern Mediterranean together with two other vessels, the Ataman and Cengiz Han.

In August, Turkey resumed energy research in the Eastern Mediterranean after Greece and Egypt signed a controversial maritime delimitation deal, declining Turkey’s goodwill gesture in halting its search.

Declaring the Greek-Egyptian deal “null and void,” Turkey authorized the Oruç Reis to continue its activities in an area within Turkey’s continental shelf.