Erdogan sets 9-month deadline for Turkey’s historic Somalia oil drilling

MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Friday that Ankara aims to complete its first overseas deep-sea oil exploration off the coast of Somalia within six to nine months, a deployment that has drawn sharp rebuke from the Somali opposition, who accuse Turkey of resource piracy and backing an “illegitimate” administration. The […]

May 23, 2026 - 19:48

Erdogan sets 9-month deadline for Turkey’s historic Somalia oil drilling

MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Friday that Ankara aims to complete its first overseas deep-sea oil exploration off the coast of Somalia within six to nine months, a deployment that has drawn sharp rebuke from the Somali opposition, who accuse Turkey of resource piracy and backing an “illegitimate” administration.

The maritime drilling operation in waters off central Somalia’s Galmudug state highlights Turkey’s deepening economic and military footprint in the Horn of Africa, even as Somalia enters a volatile political standoff over the status of its presidency.

“The operations we are conducting off the coast of Somalia are historically significant, as they represent Türkiye’s first deep-sea exploration drilling mission abroad,” Erdogan said in a statement. “If climate and weather conditions permit, we expect to complete the drilling operation within six to nine months.”

The Turkish leader framed the energy initiative as a humanitarian and stabilizing force for the nation. “Our hope is to deliver the good news long awaited by the brotherly Somali people, who have struggled for many years with instability and famine,” he added.

However, the hydrocarbon push arrives at a time of severe domestic friction in Mogadishu. Somali opposition leaders have accused Ankara of open bias toward President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose official mandate expired on May 15, arguing that Turkish actions risk propping up a dictatorship during a delicate constitutional crisis.

Critics contend that the defense and economic pacts underpinning the maritime exploration lack legal standing. Somali Senator Abdi Ismail Samatar leveled scathing criticism at Ankara’s unilateral operations, branding the initiatives a violation of domestic and international norms.

“Turkish vessels are prospecting and drilling for oil in Somali waters. This is exceptionally alarming as the entire affair is illegal. President Erdogan and his people know that the so-called defense and petroleum agreements between Türkiye and Somalia are fraudulent,” Samatar said.

The senator asserted that the legislative arm of the government had been bypassed in the transactions.

“The Somali Parliament has yet to see the texts of the two ‘agreements.’ Despite knowing these facts, the Turkish leadership has decided to ignore them and proceed with the exploration. This behavior and actions make Türkiye resources pirates. No amount of masquerading will alter the facts as well as Ankara’s guilt in conniving with an illegitimate and derelict Regime in Mogadishu,” Samatar said.

Ankara has long been a pivotal ally to Mogadishu, providing substantial humanitarian aid, infrastructure development, and military training to Somali forces combating Al-Shabaab militants. Yet, the current drilling operations threaten to entangle Turkish regional ambitions in Somalia’s turbulent internal politics, as lawmakers and opposition figures increasingly question the price of Ankara’s patronage.

Somalia 24/7