Turkish frigates to escort Yavuz to EastMed

The second Turkish drillship that will be dispatched to the Eastern Mediterranean, the Yavuz, will be protected by frigates, according to comments Friday by Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who reiterated that Ankara will protect the rights of Turkish Cypriots regarding drilling and exploration in the region.
"Our Turkish kin in northern Cyprus are entitled to the same rights as the people in southern Cyprus, especially on matters such as oil in the Eastern Mediterranean," Erdogan was quoted as saying by the Anadolu Agency.
His remarks also coincided with comments by Turkey's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hami Aksoy Friday that offshore drilling activities will soon be conducted in areas licensed by Turkish Cypriots in the occupied north of Cyprus to the Turkish Petroleum Research Association.
However, these areas make up a large part of Cyprus' exclusive...