Turkey's second drill ship Yavuz will operate in a borehole near Cyprus' Karpas peninsula, to the northeast of the island, for around three months and reach a depth of 3,300 metres (3,609 yards), Energy Minister Fatih Dönmez said on Thursday.
Turkey already has a drilling ship, Fatih, working in the region. Fatih vessel is operating in waters west of Cyprus Island while Yavuz will operate in the east.
Speaking at a launching ceremony for the vessel, Dönmez also warned "external actors" cooperating with the Cypriot government, saying they should not pursue "illusions" that will not yield results.
"We were here yesterday. We are here today and we will be here again tomorrow. No power can change this historical truth," he added.
"The Greek Cypriot administration does not have a right to take decisions on its own or even have a say in any matter concerning the whole island," said Dönmez.
Turkey has consistently contested the Greek Cypriot administration's unilateral drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean, saying Turkish Cypriots also have rights to the resources in the area and Ankara has the right to hydrocarbon drilling as well.
The minister said that Turkey doesn't accept any of the efforts of non-regional actors to determine the boundaries of the region by substituting themselves as an international court or decision-making authority.
"We will fully defend the legitimate rights of our country and the TRNC in the Mediterranean. We will continue our drilling activities, which is rooted in our own legitimate rights. Yavuz will show the nation's determination to the whole world once again," he said.
He underlined that Turkey always defended distribution of the riches of Cyprus Island and the Mediterranean in a fair manner.
Yavuz, which has a full-spectrum capability for offshore drilling, came from Malaysia to Turkey in February.
It generates its electricity from diesel fuel generators with a capacity of 42 megawatts and has 7.5 million liters of fuel capacity.
Yavuz, whose construction was completed in 2011, previously worked in different countries, such as in Tanzania, Kenya, Malaysia and the Philippines.
The Turkish-flagged drillship Fatih launched offshore drilling operations on May 3 this year in an area located 75 kilometers (42 nautical miles) off the western coast of Cyprus island.
The area falls entirely within the Turkish continental shelf registered with the UN and under permit licenses the Turkish government in previous years granted to the Turkish Petroleum Corporation, the country's national oil company.
Turkey wants to see energy as an incentive for a political resolution on the island and peace in the wider Mediterranean basin rather than a catalyst for further tensions.
