The first Turkish-made seismic-survey vessel, named Turkuaz, has been launched from Istanbul on Saturday. Turkuaz, produced in a shipyard in Tuzla, Istanbul, for the Mineral Research and Exploration General Directorate at a cost of TL 300 million ($115 million) and launched on Saturday, will carry out climate change and ecological research as well as comprehensive underwater search activities using a remote-control system. Turkuaz, which began to be built in 2011, will serve for at least 30 years with a crew of 50 and has the capacity to operate uninterrupted for 35 days away from land.