Turkey launched its newest drill ship on its first eastern Mediterranean energy exploration mission in nearly two years on Tuesday.

The search for natural gas in the energy-rich waters surrounding Cyprus' divided island has become an irritant in Turkey's relations with the European Union.

The Abdulhamid Han drill ship, Turkey's fourth, will be sent to an undisputed area about 55 kilometers (34 miles) south of the city of Gazipasa, according to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

However, he dismissed Greek and Cypriot objections to such missions, claiming that Turkey has the right to search for energy in areas it claims as its own.

The Abdulhamid Han is "the symbol of Turkey's new vision in the area of energy," Erdogan said at the sending-off ceremony in the southern city of Mersin. "I am excited."  

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In 2020, tensions between Ankara and Brussels rose after Turkey sent a seismic research vessel and a drill ship into disputed waters claimed by Greece and Cyprus.

A Greek and a Turkish warship that was following one of the exploration missions collided in the Mediterranean that August.

The designated area for Abdulhamid Han is north of Cyprus and far from disputed sea areas. Erdogan, on the other hand, warned that Turkey reserves the right to explore for gas in disputed waters claimed by Ankara.

"Our ship will not stop, she will go to other wells and continue to search (for gas) until she finds it," Erdogan defiantly said. 

"The drilling work we do in the Mediterranean is within our own jurisdiction. We don't need anyone's permission." According to Turkish media, the ship will be exploring for gas until October 7.

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It is worth noting that Russia accounted for about a quarter of Turkey's oil imports and 45% of its natural gas purchases last year.

"The sooner we can increase our natural gas and oil resources, which have turned into weapons in the global economic crisis, the more advantage we will gain in this critical process," Erdogan said.  "It will help us both reduce our energy dependency and close our current account deficit."