Turkey's Fatih drilling vessel has launched hydrocarbon exploration activities off Cyprus coast despite the risk of facing the European Union's sanctions, Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Friday
ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th November, 2019) Turkey's Fatih drilling vessel has launched hydrocarbon exploration activities off Cyprus coast despite the risk of facing the European Union's sanctions, Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Friday.
The Council of the European Union adopted on Monday a framework for restrictive measures in response to Turkey's unauthorized drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean. The framework enables slapping with sanctions individuals or entities responsible for the violations.
"Fatih vessel has completed exploration and drilling at Turkey's shelf and proceeded yesterday to its new mission to the south off Cyprus' Karpas Peninsula," Oktay said, as quoted by the Anadolu news agency.
Oktay noted that the EU's sanctions would not affect Ankara's plans on exploration in the eastern part of the Mediterranean.
Cyprus categorically rejects Turkey's drilling activities within the island's exclusive economic zone, which has also been criticized globally. Both Ankara and the Republic of Cyprus believe that they have the right to drill for natural resources in the area, believed to be rich in hydrocarbons.
