Turkey extends operations of gas drill ship off Cyprus until mid-Oct

Τurkey said Tuesday it had extended the operations of its Yavuz energy drill ship in disputed Mediterranean waters off Cyprus until Octοber 12.

Yavuz will be accompanied by three other Turkish ships, according to a maritime notice that added “all vessels are strongly advised not to enter” the area.

Turkey questions Cyprus‘ right to explore in the seas around the island because it maintains that the government does not represent the interests of Turkish Cypriots.

That argument is dismissed by Cyprus, which is legally recognised as representing the entire island.

In a separate dispute between Turkey and Greece, the two countries are at odds over the delimitation of their continental shelves.

Greece said on Tuesday it was ready for talks with Turkey following the withdrawal of a Turkish exploration vessel from a disputed region.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.