Turkey and Somalia Announce Historic Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration Pact
ISTANBUL – Following high-level bilateral talks, the leaders of Turkey and Somalia announced on Thursday a landmark energy partnership that will launch Somalia’s first-ever offshore oil and gas drilling operation in 2026.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Somali counterpart, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, stated that the ambitious project will commence with comprehensive seismic surveys off Somalia’s coast. The drilling phase is slated to begin the following year, utilizing a Turkish deep-sea drilling vessel as part of a pre-existing bilateral agreement.
“This step marks a new era in our brotherly relations and in Somalia’s economic development,” President Mohamud said during a joint press conference. The venture represents a major potential economic breakthrough for Somalia, which has vast untapped hydrocarbon resources but has never before conducted offshore exploration.
President Erdogan emphasized Turkey’s commitment to being a primary partner in Somalia’s development. “Our cooperation with Somalia is not limited to one field. We are determined to work together from energy to security, from infrastructure to emerging technologies,” he stated.
The agreement significantly deepens Ankara’s already substantial engagement in the Horn of Africa nation, where it has built a large embassy, provides humanitarian aid, and trains Somali security forces under a 2017 defense pact.
Energy analysts note the move could reposition Somalia in the global energy landscape and further solidify Turkey’s strategic and economic footprint in Africa. The announcement underscores a continued expansion of bilateral ties, with both nations pledging to enhance collaboration across security and technology sectors alongside the flagship energy project.
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