Turkish President Erdogan to Participate in Send-off Ceremony for Vessel Commencing Oil and Gas Exploration Near Somalia

Here’s a snapshot of Türkiye’s seismic research vessel, Oruç Reis, cruising through Türkiye on October 3, 2024. (AA Photo)

Mogadishu (AX) – A grand send-off awaits Turkey’s cutting-edge Oruc Reis research ship this Saturday in Istanbul. Alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, key officials from Somalia will grace the farewell event.

The Oruc Reis is embarking on a mission to explore seabeds off Somalia’s shores, searching for hidden oil and gas.

Somalia’s Petroleum Minister, Abdirisak Omar Mohamed, Somali Ambassador to Turkey, Fathudin Ali Ospite, and Turkish Energy Minister, Alparslan Bayraktar, are some of the notable figures gathering for the occasion, as inside sources linked to the Somali government reveal.

This finely engineered vessel is charting its course towards the Somali coastline, with plans to start surveying traversed waters before October ends, focusing on three specifically licensed maritime zones.

Back in July, Türkiye and Somalia inked a pact for hydrocarbon ventures, a sequel to their preliminary agreement in March on oil and gas collaborations. This marks Turkish Petroleum’s venture into a 15,000-square-kilometer marine patch off Somalia, holding an exploration license.

Constructed by Turkish brains and craftsmanship, and unveiled in 2017, the Oruc Reis will cruise alongside two navy frigates and backup ships as it sails through the Mediterranean, squeezing through the Suez, and gliding over the Red Sea.

Türkiye has morphed into a significant ally for Somalia, with recent signatures sealing a defense and economic alliance between them.

Ankara has also been playing peacekeeper for the frictions between Somalia and Ethiopia, acting as an intermediary concerning Ethiopia’s coastal cajole with North Western State of Somalia, which Somalia frowns upon.

The rift ballooned since Ethiopia penned an agreement on January 1, 2024, with North Western State of Somalia, allowing Ethiopian access to the sea and sketching plans for a military outpost in North Western State of Somalia. This move is perceived by Somalia as a jab at its territorial wholeness.

Adapted from Daily Sabah

Edited by: Ali Musa

alimusa@axadletimes.com

Axadle international–Monitoring