Newsroom
Turkey is gearing up to deploy a newly acquired, state-of-the-art oil and gas drilling rig in the eastern Mediterranean, and the choice of its accompanying support ships is stirring attention.
According to the Turkish newspaper Sozcu, the seventh-generation rig, purchased from South Korea, can drill up to 12,000 meters. It is expected to operate alongside four support vessels named “Muruvvet,” “Kucuk,” “İlhan,” and “Murat.”
What makes the names notable is their historical symbolism. Sozcu reports that they reference events in Nicosia on December 24, 1963, described by Turkey as “Kanli Noel” or “Bloody Christmas,” a period of violent clashes between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. One of the ships, Ilhan, bears the name of a military doctor involved at the time, with relatives of Nihat Ilhan commenting on the symbolic meaning behind the fleet’s naming.
The rig itself is intended for oil and gas exploration in areas of the eastern Mediterranean that Ankara considers under Turkish jurisdiction, reflecting ongoing tensions over maritime boundaries and energy resources in the region.
The move highlights Turkey’s continued investment in offshore energy exploration and underscores the delicate political context, where historical memory, national pride, and modern energy ambitions intersect.
