Turkish drillship hits headlines in Greek media

ISTANBUL

Türkiye’s fourth drillship, Abdülhamid Han, has grabbed headlines all over Greek media after setting sail, with them calling the move: “The government has put the army on guard.”

The Greek army and Athens were on alert following Abdülhamid Han set sail and anchored between Turkish Cypriot and Taşucu Port in the southern province of Mersin on July 31, according to the Greek media.

“The Athenian government is preparing for any eventuality,” CNN Greece said, while the Greek daily Ta Nea headlined the drillship as “Türkiye’s dangerous mistakes.”

On the other hand, another Greek daily, Kathimerini, claimed that Ankara plays politics with the drillship’s sailing.

Underlining that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan himself will announce the drilling vessel’s destination, the daily said, “But it is no secret the ship will drill for oil and natural gas reserves north of Cyprus.”

The seventh-generation ship has a tower height of 112 meters and is 239 meters long and 42 meters wide, with a maximum drilling depth of 12,200 meters. It can accommodate up to 200 crew.

Abdülhamid Han is one of the five drillships in the world equipped with new generation advanced technology, according to officials.

Türkiye uses drillships in its hydrocarbon exploration activities in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.