ANCHOR:
Turkey is set to boost its naval presence in Somali waters after an agreement between the two nations for Ankara to send an exploration vessel off the coast of Somalia to find oil and gas.
President Tayyip Erdogan submitted a proposal to the Turkish parliament late Friday, seeking permission to deploy Turkish military forces, including naval support, in Somali territorial waters, state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
The development follows the Turkish Energy Ministry’s announcement that an exploration vessel will be dispatched later this year as part of a hydrocarbon cooperation agreement. The deal, signed Thursday in Istanbul, grants Turkey exclusive rights to explore and produce hydrocarbons in three offshore blocks, each covering 5,000 square kilometers. The signing ceremony was attended by Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar and Somalia’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Abdirizak Omar Mohamed.
Minister Bayraktar clarified that two of the blocks are about 50 kilometers offshore, while the third is 100 kilometers from the coast. Initial 3D seismic activities will begin in the designated areas with the Oruc Reis vessel, which will begin operations in late September or early October.
Earlier this year, Turkey and Somalia strengthened their bilateral ties with a defense and economic cooperation agreement signed during the visit of Somalia’s defense minister to Ankara.
Turkey has emerged as an important ally of the Somali government, contributing to the nation’s development by building schools, hospitals and infrastructure, as well as offering scholarships to Somali students to study in Turkey.
In 2017, Turkey inaugurated its largest overseas military base in Mogadishu and has been actively involved in training Somalia’s military and police forces.
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