Somalia took a historic step into offshore hydrocarbon exploration after a Turkish drilling vessel docked in the capital Mogadishu on Friday, marking the country’s first-ever move toward deepwater oil and gas exploration.
The arrival of the vessel signals the beginning of a new energy chapter for Somalia, a nation still recovering from decades of conflict, and reflects expanding strategic cooperation with Turkey in the energy sector.
The drilling ship, operated under a 2024 agreement between Mogadishu and Ankara on hydrocarbon exploration and production, is expected to carry out exploratory operations across three offshore blocks, each covering roughly 5,000 square kilometres.
According to Somali and Turkish officials, the vessel, named Çagri Bey, will initiate Somalia’s first offshore drilling operations after completing seismic surveys in late 2024 to identify potential reserves.
A port worker in Mogadishu described the arrival of the massive rig as unprecedented, saying the city had “never seen anything like it” in its harbor before.
The Somali National News Agency reported that the vessel will conduct the first drilling operations ever carried out off Somalia’s coast, a milestone in the country’s long-standing efforts to develop its untapped natural resources.
Turkey’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, confirmed that the ship will also conduct Turkey’s first offshore exploration activities outside its territorial waters, highlighting Ankara’s growing global energy ambitions.
Turkey has become one of Somalia’s most significant political, military, and economic partners in recent years. The relationship has expanded beyond aid and security cooperation into infrastructure and resource development.
Ankara established its largest overseas military base in Mogadishu in 2017, underscoring its long-term strategic presence in the Horn of Africa.
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