Ankara will issue seismic exploration and drilling licenses in new areas of the eastern Mediterranean by the end of August, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday.
NATO allies Turkey and Greece are at odds over overlapping claims for hydrocarbon resources in the eastern Mediterranean. On Monday, Turkey sent a vessel to conduct a seismic survey in a disputed area in the region, Reuters reported, and Greece said the move was illegal.
Cavusoglu said Turkey would issue new licenses for operations near the western borders of its continental shelf and continue “all sorts of seismic and drilling operations” in the area.