Barbaros-Hayreddin-P

Turkey has sent a second ship, the 'Barbaros Hayreddin P'; to Cyprus waters to search for gas and oil. The country did so despite the EU's criticisms. The ship has been located east of Cyprus since July 30, 2020, according to sightings from a Turkish navigation station. Another Turkish ship, the 'Yavuz', has been operating southwest of the island in the Mediterranean for months. Energy companies have discovered gas fields in the seabed around Cyprus in recent years which led to mounting tensions between Ankara and Nicosia. Turkey does not recognize the EU country of Cyprus. Turkey occupied Northern Cyprus in 1974 and claims to be an independent state. Ankara rejects the search for natural gas without permission from the Turkish part of Cyprus. The EU has already told Turkey to immediately remove ships searching for gas and oil from exclusive European waters. Turkey disputesd the existence of such exclusive waters and said it represents the interests of Northern Cyprus.

A 53-year-old British citizen working on the 'Barbaros Hayreddin' Pasa, which is currently in the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), has died on Feb 16, 2020. Christopher Ross Macculloch felt unwell in the morning and. He was medevaced from the ship by a Turkish helicopter and was then transferred to the airport in Tymbou. He was then taken to a university hospital where despite the efforts of doctors he died at 11.45 a.m.

The "Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha" requested assistance on Jan 11, 2015, in the Famagusta Bay off Cyprus after one of her engines failed. Turkish salvage and CG vessels were dispatched to assist. The research vessel managed to reach an anchorage off Famagusta by own means.