Türkiye and Somalia have signed a memorandum for joint hydrocarbon exploration, strengthening their growing energy partnership. The agreement, announced by Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar involves Türkiye’s state-owned energy company, TPAO, and Somalia’s Petroleum Authority collaborating on onshore oil and gas research.
Speaking about the deal, Bayraktar said, “With this agreement, we will carry out oil and gas research operations on Somali land fields.”
The memorandum was signed during the Somali Defence Minister’s visit to Ankara, where broader defence and economic cooperation agreements were also discussed.
Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, at last week’s Energy Forum in Istanbul, revealed that the Turkish exploration vessel Oruc Reis had begun operations at three offshore sites in Somali waters. These exploration areas span approximately 5,000 square kilometres.
Türkiye has emerged as a key energy and development ally for Somalia in recent years, enhancing cooperation on oil and gas exploration both onshore and offshore. This latest agreement marks another milestone in their partnership, with mutual benefits for the energy sectors of both nations.
