Türkiye’s latest and most advanced drilling ship, Abdülhamid Han, is disembarking on its maiden mission from the southern port of Mersin on Tuesday.

The launch ceremony is being attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Operated by the state energy company Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO), Abdulhamid Han is the fourth drill ship in Türkiye’s fleet, consisting of Fatih, Kanuni and Yavuz, with a crew capacity of 200.

Setting sail from Mersin’s Tasucu port, the drill ship will be conducting offshore hydrocarbon exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The vessel is one of five seventh-generation ships in the world, with a maximum drilling depth of 12,200 meters (40,026 ft.).

It is 238 meters (780 feet) long, has a width of 42 meters (137 ft), a tower height of 104 meters (341 ft) and weighs 68,000 gross