Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak stated that Turkey started to drill on its own for oil and gas in the Mediterranean. Albayrak outlined Turkey‘s achievements under its national energy and mining policy, saying that, “We are also making great efforts to ensure there is no letup in this momentum.”
The ship, Fatih (the conqueror), formerly known as DeepSea Metro-II, is currently at the Dilovası port, in the gulf of Izmit, according to the MarineTraffic website, but her destination is seen as Antalya. “Fatih, Turkey’s first drilling ship sets off today,” Turkish Petroleum said in a tweet.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Albayrak said that the June 24 presidential and parliamentary elections would usher in a new era for Turkey. “We will write a new story in the coming era, as there are more roads for us to travel. By the end of this year, Turkey’s first domestic integrated solar factory will begin the production of national solar panels” he said. He added that the country would also start preparations for the construction of a wind turbine factory.
Albayrak also said the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP) would launch on June 12 with the expected participation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev. TANAP’s initial annual capacity will be 16 billion cubic meters, from which Turkey will withdraw 6 billion cubic meters while the remaining 10 billion cubic meters will be delivered to Europe.