ISTANBUL — Turkey and Somalia have held high-level talks on expanding cooperation in oil, gas and mineral resources, as both sides report progress in ongoing offshore exploration activities off the Somali coast.
Turkey’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Dr. Alparslan Bayraktar met with Somalia’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Dahir Shire Mohamed on the sidelines of the Natural Resources Summit in Istanbul, where they discussed the status of seismic surveys and drilling preparations currently underway in Somali waters.
Officials from both countries said the exploration programme is progressing “smoothly,” and reaffirmed that technical teams are continuing joint assessments aimed at identifying commercially viable hydrocarbon reserves along Somalia’s extensive coastline.
The Turkish side said energy cooperation with Somalia has now reached what it described as a “practical and operational phase,” moving beyond early-stage agreements into active fieldwork. Ankara also indicated plans to deepen investment in Somalia’s energy and mining sectors, including capacity-building and technical support for Somali institutions.
The talks come as Turkey expands its presence in Somalia’s offshore sector under a broader strategic partnership that includes energy development, infrastructure support, and maritime cooperation. Somalia, which has one of Africa’s longest coastlines, is widely considered a high-potential frontier for offshore oil and gas exploration, although large-scale commercial production has yet to be confirmed.
Officials did not provide specific details on timelines or expected results of the current exploration phase, but both sides expressed optimism that continued surveys could yield significant data to guide future investment decisions.
Analysts say the growing energy partnership reflects Ankara’s broader push to diversify its overseas energy footprint, while Somalia seeks foreign expertise and investment to unlock its untapped natural resources and strengthen its economy.
