Turkish drillship arrives in Somalia for first overseas deep-sea mission
A Turkish deep-sea drilling vessel has reached Somalia, setting in motion what Ankara is calling a “historic mission” and marking Türkiye’s first overseas deep-sea drilling operation, the energy and natural resources minister announced Thursday.
Mucahithan AvciogluFriday April 10, 2026
A Turkish deep-sea drilling vessel has reached Somalia, setting in motion what Ankara is calling a “historic mission” and marking Türkiye’s first overseas deep-sea drilling operation, the energy and natural resources minister announced Thursday.
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“The Cagri Bey (ship) has arrived in Somalia for its historic mission,” Alparslan Bayraktar said on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal, saying the effort would usher in “a brand-new chapter in the energy history of both Türkiye and Somalia.”
He said Türkiye is beginning its first overseas deep-sea drilling campaign, adding: “We ask for God’s grace for our first overseas deep-sea drilling operation that goes beyond our borders.”
According to Türkiye’s Energy Ministry, the Cagri Bey is scheduled to drill at the Curad-1 well off Somalia and is expected to work at a depth of 7,500 meters (over 24,600 feet) over 288 days.
The ministry has characterized the project as Türkiye’s first deep-sea exploration drilling activity conducted abroad.
Bayraktar said earlier this month that the vessel would arrive in Somalia on Friday and that, with the ship, Türkiye would launch its first offshore drilling operation in the waters of the Horn of Africa nation.