Sema Fonkem 06 April 2026

The Turkish government has launched its first oil drilling operation in Somalia with the arrival of the Çağrı Bey drillship on Friday, April 4, 2026.

While speaking about the sustainable exploration and production strategy, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar emphasised the need of Somalia becoming energy-independent.

“If you do not have serious preparation, preparations that span decades, and if you have not put forward a vision, you have no chance of managing such a crisis. Since 2002, under Justice and Development (AK Party) governments, the goal and vision set by our president has been very clear: what I call our ‘Kızılelma’ is to make Türkiye energy independent,” Bayraktar while addressing the press on Saturday.

Since the escalation of the deadly war between the United States, Israel, and Iran, Somalia has joined the ranks of other nations, such as Senegal, that have taken steps to address fuel price increases caused by the fear of transit and the blockade of around 20 million barrels of oil per day on the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Bayraktar, oil drilling in the Black Sea is expected to double as Somalia prepares to increase oil and gas production in the coming years.

The minister believes that oil and gas discoveries will have a substantial impact on the country’s economy and well-being of citizens.

Somalia’s government has removed a $0.30 per litre in fuel taxes to prevent price hikes from being passed on to citizens.

Since 2017, Turkey’s military presence in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, has strengthened their security and economic relationship.

Petroleum Minister Dahir Shire welcomed the arrival of Çağrı Bey as a tremendous achievement in a post on his X account.

“The Çağrı Bey drilling vessel is expected to arrive in Somalia in the coming days, marking a historic milestone in our offshore energy journey. This signals Somalia’s readiness to move into exploratory drilling, beginning with our most promising offshore prospects. Somalia remains firmly committed to advancing its natural resource sector in a transparent, responsible, and internationally aligned manner—ensuring that its benefits contribute meaningfully to national prosperity and the well-being of its people,” Minister Dahir Shire wrote on his X post.