The Turkish Naval Forces Command is providing full protection to Turkish drilling vessels operating in the Eastern Mediterranean, the country’s National Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday.
On Twitter, the ministry shared video footage shot by a UAV showing a Turkish drilling vessel escorted by a corvette, assault boat, and Bayraktar TV-2 UAV.
FULL PROTECTION BOTH ON SURFACE AND UNDER WATER
The ministry stated that country’s drill ships are provided full protection both on the surface and under water, saying that protective UAVs, planes, helicopters, corvettes, frigates, and submarines are ready to engage in hostilities if necessary at any time.
Turkish naval forces provide full protection in the Mediterranean WATCH
The video’s release comes against a backdrop of Turkey asserting its own rights and the rights of Turkish Cyprus to search for natural resources in the Eastern Mediterranean in the face of European intransigence and challenges, including threats to arrest the crews of Turkish drill ships.
Since this spring, Ankara has sent two drilling vessels — the Fatih and the Yavuz — to the Eastern Mediterranean, asserting the right of Turkey and the TRNC to the resources of the region.