Turkish drill ship heads back to Turkey from off Cyprus

The Turkish drill ship Yavuz has left its area of activity southwest of Cyprus and reached the Turkish coast, Reuters reported, citing Refinitiv Eikon shipping data presented on Monday.

The move may help ease tensions in the eastern Mediterranean as it follows the Oruç Reis, a Turkish research vessel at the heart of a month-long dispute, in leaving contested waters possibly rich with hydrocarbon reserves.

The Yavuz recently extended its activities until Oct. 12,  however, Refinitiv Eikon tracking data showed the Yavuz near the port of Taşucu in Turkey’s southern Mersin province on Monday morning, having departed on Sunday from an area southwest of Cyprus.

The Turkish seismic research vessel Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa remains off southeastern Cyprus and its operations there have been extended to Oct. 18, Reuters said.

Diken reported on Sunday that the Oruç Reis had left the Antalya port and into open waters over weekend, awaiting new orders. The ship’s departure from its operating area between Cyprus and Greek islands last month was a pre-condition set by Greece for exploratory talks with Turkey.

Security sources told state-run Anadolu news agency that separate NATO-brokered technical negotiations to discuss ways to prevent a military incident between the alliance members were delayed, citing technical reasons.