Turkey and Somalia have launched a historic offshore oil drilling initiative, marking Somalia’s first such project. The Turkish drillship Cagri Bey, recognizable by its red bow with a white star and crescent, docked at Mogadishu port on Friday. A 2024 hydrocarbon deal grants Turkey’s state-owned energy company rights to explore three 5,000-square-kilometer blocks. Seismic surveys were conducted in late 2024 to identify drilling sites. Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar confirmed the vessel will perform

Turkey’s first deep-sea drilling outside its own waters, while Somalia’s SONNA called it a national milestone. Port employee Abshir Yare described the ship as unprecedented in size. A ceremony at the port is set to include Bayraktar and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Turkey, which opened its largest overseas military base in Mogadishu in 2017, remains a key ally to Somalia in both security and energy development.

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