Türkiye sends drillship to Somalia for offshore oil exploration
Çağrı Bey departs from Mersin, marking Ankara’s first overseas drilling mission as energy cooperation with Mogadishu expands
MOGADISHU, Somalia (MNTV) — Türkiye has dispatched its new deep-drilling vessel, Çağrı Bey, to Somali waters to begin offshore oil exploration, marking Ankara’s first deployment of a drillship outside its territorial waters.
The vessel departed Sunday from Taşucu Port in Türkiye’s southern province of Mersin during a ceremony attended by Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and Somali officials.
Bayraktar said the ship is expected to reach Mogadishu Port after a 45-day voyage. He noted that the vessel will travel via the Atlantic route along the western coast of Africa rather than through the Suez Canal.
Çağrı Bey becomes the second Turkish vessel to operate in Somali waters after the seismic research ship Oruç Reis, which was sent to Somalia in October 2024 and completed its mission last year.
The deployment comes as Türkiye intensifies efforts to expand oil and gas exploration both domestically and abroad. Ankara has strengthened cooperation with Mogadishu in recent years across energy, defense, and infrastructure sectors, signing several memoranda of understanding.
Speaking at an event in Ankara a day earlier, Bayraktar described the mission as a “historic step” toward Türkiye’s goal of achieving energy independence. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly emphasized reducing the country’s external energy dependency as a strategic priority.
Bayraktar also said Türkiye plans to double its domestic gas production in the Black Sea this year and expand drilling operations along the country’s northern coastline. He added that construction at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Mersin remains on track, with the first reactor expected to begin generating electricity this year.
Once fully operational, the four-reactor facility is projected to meet around 10% of Türkiye’s electricity demand, according to Turkish officials.
Somalia has been working to develop its offshore energy resources as part of broader efforts to strengthen its economy and attract foreign investment.
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
