Turkey’s exploratory vessel Barbaros has reportedly set a course for Block 6 within Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) while Nicosia continues to call for calm against an act many see as a provocation by Ankara to raise tensions.
Earlier on Friday, Turkish Energy Minister Berat Albayrak said that they had completed tests in Famagusta and that “our next step is Morphou which is very important to us.”
Turkey recently announced that it would conduct seismic researches to the east of Paphos following the start of the drilling process – commissioned by ENI/Total in Block 11 of the island’s EEZ.
Cypriot government officials – including Defence Minister Christoforos Fokaides – this week said that they were “anticipating the provocations by Turkey” and calling on the public to be calm.
Barbaros had initially set a course for Marmara, then the Aegean Sea before finally setting a course towards Block 6 – situated to the west of Paphos and which has been contracted for exploratory rights by the Cypriot government to Italian energy firm ENI and France’s Total.
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