Mogadishu (AX) — An official entourage from Turkey, spearheaded by Deputy Defence Minister Musa Heybet, touched down in Mogadishu on Thursday. Their mission? To oversee the arrival of a Turkish ship geared up for seismic investigations aimed at oil and natural gas reconnaissance along Somalia’s coastline.
Greeting them at the airport was the Somali Minister of Petroleum and Minerals, Abdirisaq Omar Mohamed, flanked by other high-ranking officials.
Adding to the throng was Fathudin Ospite, the Somali Ambassador to Turkey, making his way to the city for the vessel’s grand reception at the Mogadishu seaport, expected in the coming days.
On the vessel front, the Oruc Reis—a Turkish research ship instrumental since 2017—is set to take the seismic spotlight.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan chimed in on social media platform X (you might remember it as Twitter), declaring that the ship will conduct its exploratory dance across three designated territories off the Somali shore, each measuring 5,000 square kilometers (or roughly 1,930 square miles).
Steeping with hopes, Erdogan remarked that the region, typically marked by strife, “will soon transform, drawing attention for its economic boom, abundance, and tranquility courtesy of the Oruc Reis’ revelations.”
This seismic expedition stems from a pact inked in March between Turkey’s Energy and Natural Resources Ministry and Somalia’s Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ministry.
Minister Abdirisaq Omar Mohamed extended heartfelt sympathies to Deputy Minister Heybet for the Turkish casualties in a recent assault in Ankara.
“In sharing this anguish, the people of Somalia firmly stand with Turkey,” stated Minister Abdirisaq Omar.
The attack transpired at the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) headquarters on Ankara’s fringes, leading to the tragic loss of at least five souls and inflicting injuries on 22 others. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the assailants were neutralized.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
