Turkey is building its own seismic newbuilding vessel to search for natural gas and oil.
Energy minister Taner Yildiz said the general directorate of mineral research exploration had agreed a deal at the domestic Tuzla Shipyard.
The EUR 100m ($132m) vessel, set for delivery in 2014, will be used for two-dimensional and three-dimensional seismic exploration.
“A growing and developing Turkey cannot have a stagnant energy sector. All areas of Turkey are growing, therefore we will conduct our exploration activities with the latest technology,” Yildiz added.