Turkey's second drilling vessel Yavuz set sail from Dilovası port in Kocaeli to the Mediterranean with a ceremony launched for the vessel.

Speaking at the ceremony, Turkey's Energy Minister Fatih Dönmez stated that the drillship will continue to work uninterruptedly in the areas where the license is given to Turkish oil by TRNC [Turkish Republic of North Cyprus].

"We have clearly demonstrated our position on our continental shelf and have been recorded before the UN. We conveyed that the unilateral agreements made by GPSC [Greek populated southern Cyprus] with the countries of the region have no legal validity that tries to extort the rights of Turkey and the TRNC," Dönmez said.

Stating that GPSC cannot decide on anything that concerns the whole island, Turkish Minister said they also do not accept the efforts of non-regional actors to determine the boundaries of the region by replacing themselves with the International Court or decision maker.

Stating that they are determined to defend the legitimate rights of Turkey and of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the Mediterranean, Dönmez said they would continue drilling activities in this context without interruption.

ILKHA