The Turks have put on a cheap show in the Eastern Mediterranean with the Abdul Hamid Khan. In the last few hours, the drillship sailed from the port of Tasucciu and made a very short voyage to reach the spot that Turkey blocked with a navtex until January 23 to conduct "drilling operations". Something that those familiar with drilling find hard to believe.
First of all, the site is relatively close to land, not very deep, which extremely limits the chances of finding gas there. Unless they intend to look for salt, as the Director General of the Turkish Petroleum Company stated a few weeks ago.
It was the TPAO official who announced the new drilling in the Mediterranean and since then, apart from a general mention by the country's Energy Minister, not a word has been heard about the start of the alleged drilling. Unlike all the previous ones, which Turkish officials gave a celebratory character.
As it seems clear, the Turks acted spasmodically, issued a navtex and sent Abdul Hamid Khan to Antalya Bay. This happened just a few hours after information about the unsuitability of the drilling vessel reached Athens. Last Wednesday, the Athenian newspaper Kathimerini published the report, citing "highly informed sources". According to the report, the International Maritime Organization expressed objections to the Amdul Hamid Khan's seagoing vessel after finding problems with its engines.
The Organization's opinion is that the ship is unable to perform its work effectively. Which is not surprising if we recall the way it ended up in Ankara. Turkey had bought the much-publicised 7th generation drilling rig by express procedures and at a bargain price. It had previously been rejected by American and Norwegian companies that had initially expressed interest in acquiring it.
None of this seems to be a coincidence. Part of the same chain is the fact that there have been targeted leaks in the Turkish press this week about the results of drilling by Abdul Hamid Khan over the summer and autumn. The reports created the feeling that Turkey has identified two huge gas fields in the Mediterranean and that this was not announced because the data is being further processed!
Truth or falsehood will be seen in the near future. But the Erdogan government will not be used to us managing such issues with introspection. On the contrary, it usually does just the opposite.
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