(Ecofin Agency) – Turkey has strengthened its ties with Somalia since the visit made in 2011 by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to this country in the Horn of Africa. Last August, bilateral agreements were signed in the areas of hydrocarbon exploration and defense.
Turkey announced, on Saturday October 5, 2024, the dispatch of the semic research vessel Oruç Reis to Somali waters for a natural gas and oil exploration mission.
“Today we sent our research vessel Oruç Reis to Somalia […] It will now carry out seismic activities in three licensed areas in Somalia, each covering an area of 5,000 square kilometers,” said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on X (twitter).
“The Somali region, associated with conflict, instability and hunger for decades, will now be at the forefront of economic development, prosperity and peace after the discoveries of Oruç Reis,” he added.
The Turkish leader attended a ceremony marking the departure of the 86-meter-long ship from Istanbul through the Bosphorus Strait, alongside several of his ministers and Somalia’s Oil Minister, Abdirisaq Mohamed Omar.
“Today we witnessed a historic moment for our country […] We have started a new era in offshore natural gas and oil exploration “, declared Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar.
On August 18, Turkey signed an agreement with Somalia for the exploration of the seabed off the coast of the country in the Horn of Africa, where gas and oil reserves are estimated at 30 billion barrels.
Somalia’s first trading partner for more than a decade, Ankara also signed a defense agreement with Mogadishu during the same month. This agreement, which concerns the training and provision of equipment to the Somali navy so that it can better protect its territorial waters against threats such as terrorism, piracy and “ foreign interference”, appears intended to deter efforts by neighboring Ethiopia to secure access to the sea via the breakaway region of Somaliland.
Also read:
11/09/2024 – Turkey wants to install a missile launch base in Somalia
07/19/2024 – Somalia: seismic studies with Turkey announced for the end of September
04/25/2024 – Turkey to carry out hydrocarbon research activities in Somalia in 2025
08/03/2024 – Hydrocarbons: Turkey and Somalia initial a cooperation agreement
02/10/2024 – Somalia and Turkey sign defense and economic cooperation agreement
