NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus' energy minister says Turkish warships "threatened to use force" to stop a renewed attempt by a rig to reach an area off the east Mediterranean island nation where Italian company Eni was scheduled to drill for gas.
Yiorgos Lakkotrypis told local private TV station Antenna Friday that the rig's skipper showed "great determination" to reach the target. But he said Turkish warships got in the rig's way and stepped up their threats the closer the rig came to the drilling target, forcing it to stop.
Lakkotrypis said the rig is now off the island's port of Limassol for resupply and will depart later for other drilling obligations. He called the incident a setback, but said Turkey's won't stop Cyprus' offshore gas search from carrying on.