Türkiye is set to conduct seismic surveys in the Eastern Mediterranean through the end of August as part of a natural gas pipeline project connecting the country with Turkish Cyprus, following a NAVTEX notice issued by authorities on July 22.

The operations will be carried out by Türkiye’s seismic research vessel, Oruç Reis, and are scheduled to run until August 30, according to the NAVTEX declaration, The Caspian Post reports, citing Hurriyet Daily News.

The vessel-which was previously deployed last year for Türkiye’s offshore drilling activities in Somalia-docked at the Taşucu Port in the southern province of Mersin on July 19 to undergo final preparations before commencing survey operations.

The planned 101-kilometer pipeline will feature 97 kilometers of subsea infrastructure and 4 kilometers on land. Designed to support bidirectional gas flow, the line will connect Anamur in Türkiye’s Mersin province to Teknecik, located east of Kyrenia in Turkish Cyprus.

While construction-related works have already commenced, the pipeline is projected to become fully operational in 2028. The initiative follows a memorandum of understanding signed between Türkiye and Turkish Cyprus on July 10, marking a major step forward in reinforcing long-term energy security for the Turkish Cypriot administration.

Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar previously noted that the infrastructure could ultimately allow natural gas produced on the island to be transported to Türkiye and subsequently exported to European markets.

Speaking at a joint press conference before the signing ceremony, Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ünal Üstel described the project as a historic turning point for the Turkish Cypriot administration’s energy future.

“This memorandum of understanding is the first step in a strategic vision that will shape the next 100 years of Turkish Cyprus,” Üstel said.

The announcement also revives memories of heightened tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, where competing NAVTEX notices issued by Türkiye and Greece throughout 2020 fueled a standoff over maritime jurisdiction.

After Greece issued a NAVTEX for an area east of Crete, Türkiye responded with a counter-NAVTEX, arguing that the designated zone overlapped with its continental shelf claims.

Ankara subsequently released additional NAVTEX notices to facilitate seismic surveys by the Oruç Reis, further escalating tensions between the two NATO allies.

A NAVTEX is an international maritime notice alerting mariners to activities such as military drills, seismic surveys and drilling operations that may affect navigation in a specified area.