Turkish drillship enters Cypriot EEZ

In yet another blatant violation of Cyprus' sovereignty, Turkey on Thursday sent its Yavuz drillship to an area off the west coast of the island and within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to prospect for hydrocarbons.

The area, which is in Block 7 of the island's EEZ, has already been licensed for exploration to the French-Italian consortium of Total and Eni.

According to reports, the Yavuz was located at a location that Turkey calls "Guzelyurt-1" on Thursday afternoon in an area claimed by Turkey.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday that Ankara was conducting activities within Turkey's continental shelf while Turkey's Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said the "Yavuz is moving toward the Guzelyurt-1 well where it will drill."

"We will not stop making our underground resources available to our nation," he added.

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