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Eastern Mediterranean heats up as gas rivalry stakes grow higher

Turkey’s launch of a second ship to drill in disputed areas off Cyprus is the harbinger of further escalation in the eastern Mediterranean and tough choices for Ankara.
Turkish Navy frigate TCG Fatih (F-242) is seen next to Turkish drilling vessel Yavuz at Dilovasi port in the western city of Kocaeli, Turkey, June 20, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC1DB3BC89F0

Turkey’s dispatch of a second drillship to disputed waters off Cyprus has raised the specter of renewed tensions in the eastern Mediterranean. Yet Ankara finds itself increasingly isolated in the region's gas rivalry, facing a critical choice between military escalation or a diplomatic push to gain allies.

The Yavuz drilling ship, which Turkey’s state-owned petroleum company bought for $262 million in October, was launched to sea in a grand ceremony June 20 at Dilovasi, not far from Istanbul, after nearly two months of maintenance work and training for the crew.

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