Turkey’s latest and most advanced drilling ship, Abdülhamid Han, will start its mission in the Mediterranean after departing from the southern Mersin’s port on Aug. 9, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez said Tuesday.

"Turkish drilling ship Adbülhamid Han will start a mission in the Mediterranean on Aug. 9 departing from the Mersin port" in the south of the country, Dönmez said during an interview at Haberglobal.

The announcement of the drilling operation near the island of Cyprus comes amid tense relations between Ankara and Athens.

NATO members Turkey and Greece have been at odds over a host of issues, ranging from the ethnically split island and maritime boundaries to hydrocarbon resources in the Mediterranean.