Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the Turkish government hopes to complete an oil drilling operation in Somali waters within six to nine months, weather and climate permitting.
Erdoğan described the operation as “historical,” as it is the first deep-sea drilling operation carried out by Turkey outside its territory.
“We hope to bring the good news that the brotherly Somali people, who have been struggling with internal instability and famine for a long time, have been waiting for,” Erdoğan said at an official ceremony in Ankara.
The Turkish president’s remarks come as Ankara and Mogadishu are further strengthening cooperation in the fields of energy, security and the economy, following recent agreements between the two governments regarding the exploration of oil and natural gas resources off the coast of Somalia.
Turkey has significantly expanded its influence in Somalia in recent years, investing in infrastructure projects, health, education and training for Somali security forces.
Turkey’s oil exploration off the coast of Somalia is seen as crucial to the Somali government’s efforts to exploit natural resources to strengthen the country’s economy, which has long faced security and humanitarian challenges.
