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Türkiye is gearing up to kick off oil and natural gas exploration in Somali land areas, thanks to a brand-new agreement inked between Turkish Petroleum and the Somali Petroleum Authority, announced Türkiye’s energy and natural resources minister on the delightful day of Friday.
Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, speaking at the bustling Port of Mogadishu where the Oruc Reis ship triumphantly docked after a 20-day voyage from Istanbul, revealed that the Turkish Petroleum Corporation and the Somali Petroleum Authority have sealed a deal for hydrocarbon exploration in land areas.
The collaboration between Türkiye and Somalia in maritime territories is expanding, he noted enthusiastically.
The Oruc Reis is set to embark on a mission of three-dimensional seismic exploration off the Somali coast, predicted to run for around half a year. During this endeavor, the ship will gather seismic data for oil and gas prospects, which will then make its way back to Ankara for a thorough analysis to pinpoint potential drilling locations.
Earlier on Friday, Bayraktar crossed paths with Somalia’s Prime Minister, Hamza Abdi Barre. Sharing snapshots of their meeting on X, the Turkish minister remarked that the bonds between Türkiye and Somalia “grow stronger each day with the collaborative projects we develop together.”
“Our intention is to boost the Somali people’s well-being and fortify our friendship by investing not only in oil and gas but also in mining and electricity,” he declared.
Bayraktar also had the honor of meeting with Somalia’s President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Reflecting on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s momentous visit to Somalia in 2011, Bayraktar commented in a separate post on X, “Our bilateral ties have taken a substantial leap forward.” He expressed optimism over entering a new partnership era with the Oruc Reis ship setting sail.
Earlier this year, Türkiye and Somalia penned a series of memorandums of understanding across their ministries and governments. As part of these accords, Turkish Petroleum, Türkiye’s state oil company, secured licenses for three offshore areas in Somali waters. The ministry intends to conduct seismic probing across these three licensed zones, each sprawling over roughly 5,000 square kilometers.
Standing as a close ally to the Horn of Africa nation, Türkiye has poured investments into education, infrastructure, health, and has consistently delivered humanitarian aid over the years.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
