The State Minister of Defense of the Federal Government of Somalia, Omar Abdi Ali, accompanied by the Commander of the Somali National Army, officially welcomed warships of the Turkish Navy to Mogadishu.
The arrival of these warships comes at a time when the Federal Government of Somalia is giving special priority to the construction, upgrading and equipping of the Navy and Defense Forces, in order to ensure the security of the country’s seas and protect natural resources.
The welcoming ceremony was also attended by the State Minister of the Ministry of Ports and Maritime Transport, the Assistant General of the Somali Navy, the Commander of the Navy and Coast Guard, the Turkish Ambassador to Somalia, and other military officials.
Officials operating at the Mogadishu Port announced that an oil exploration and drilling vessel has docked at the Mogadishu Port, accompanied by another security vessel.
The ships reportedly set sail from Turkey earlier this year, following a bilateral agreement between Mogadishu and Ankara to explore and drill for oil off the coast of Somalia.
The reports add that coastal security has been significantly tightened, especially in areas where preliminary seismic surveys were conducted in 2024.
The Turkish government is reported to have used manned and unmanned military aircraft (drones) to protect the ships and exploration sites.
Initially, the Federal Government of Somalia and Turkey planned for oil drilling operations to begin in late 2025, but that schedule has been postponed to early 2026.
Now that the ships have arrived in Mogadishu, drilling operations are expected to begin soon.
Turkish Warships and Oil Exploration Ships Arrive in Mogadishu.
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