ISTANBUL/MOGADISHU – Turkey is preparing to launch its first overseas deepwater oil drilling operation as the state-backed drillship Çağrı Bey approaches Somali waters, marking a major step in Ankara’s expanding energy footprint and deepening ties with Somalia.
The vessel, which departed from the southern Turkish port of Mersin after a 45-day voyage around the Cape of Good Hope, is scheduled to begin drilling at the offshore Curad‑1 well off Somalia’s coast. Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar called the mission “historic,” emphasizing its potential to unlock significant hydrocarbon reserves.
Equipped for ultra-deepwater drilling up to 12,000 meters, Çağrı Bey represents Ankara’s first venture into foreign waters and forms part of a broader Turkey–Somalia cooperation agreement covering onshore and offshore oil and gas exploration. The operation is supported by a Turkish naval escort, underscoring the strategic and security importance of the mission.
Somalia, which holds largely untapped offshore oil and gas resources estimated at up to 30 billion barrels, views the project as a transformative economic opportunity. Analysts say commercially viable findings could boost government revenue, develop infrastructure, and strengthen the country’s post-conflict recovery.
While challenges remain—including high costs, technical complexity, and security concerns—experts consider the campaign a landmark for Somalia’s energy sector and Turkey’s ambitions to expand its global energy influence.
