Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visits Turkey’s Çağrı Bey drilling vessel off Somalia’s coast as officials brief him on oil exploration progress and preliminary findings.
MOGADISHU, Somalia (Somali Report) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has visited a Turkish drilling vessel operating in Somali waters, where officials briefed him on ongoing oil exploration activities and preliminary findings.
The president toured the Çağrı Bey vessel and received updates from experts and officials on drilling operations, work completed so far and initial results from efforts to assess potential oil resources beneath Somalia’s waters.
The Turkish Embassy in Mogadishu said the visit reflected progress in energy cooperation between the two countries, describing the vessel’s operations as an important step in bilateral relations.
The Çağrı Bey is a modern drilling vessel designed for deepwater oil and gas exploration. Its deployment off the Somali coast forms part of energy cooperation agreements between Mogadishu and Ankara.
Somalia, which has a long coastline along the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, has sought to develop its offshore hydrocarbon resources as part of broader efforts to attract foreign investment and diversify its economy.
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The drilling campaign is expected to provide additional geological information to help assess the country's potential petroleum reserves. However, preliminary findings alone do not establish the commercial viability of any deposits, which would require further evaluation.
The Turkish Embassy also reiterated Ankara's commitment to supporting Somalia in security, development and strengthening state institutions.
Turkey has expanded its economic and political engagement with Somalia over the past decade, building ties through development assistance, security cooperation and investment. Energy exploration has emerged as another area of cooperation between the two countries.
The Çağrı Bey operation follows bilateral efforts to advance cooperation in the oil and gas sector, as Somalia seeks to determine whether its offshore resources can support future economic growth.
The results of the current drilling activities are expected to contribute to assessments of the country's hydrocarbon potential, although the scale of any commercially recoverable resources remains to be established.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
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