By Zamzam Osman - Reporter
Turkiye, 4 January 2026 Türkiye has unveiled the technical and strategic details of its upcoming offshore oil drilling operation in Somali waters, a move described as potentially transformative for the Horn of Africa region.
According to TRT Afrika, the Turkish public broadcaster’s (TRT) digital platform, Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, said the offshore drilling project could become a “game-changer” for the Horn of Africa, noting that the teams involved are highly optimistic about the outcome.
Bayraktar explained that the decision to proceed with drilling was the result of exhaustive preparation, stressing that the operation is grounded in extensive technical, geological, and strategic assessments. As reported by TRT Afrika, the specific drilling location was selected after detailed evaluations identified strong indicators of potential oil reserves.
The drilling operation will be conducted by the Turkish drillship Cagri Bey, which is set to operate in deep-water conditions off Somalia’s coast.
According to details shared with TRT Afrika, the drilling site lies at a water depth of nearly 3.5 kilometers, with drilling expected to extend approximately the same distance beneath the seabed.
More from Somalia
“We aim to locate and extract oil if it is present at those depths,” Bayraktar said, highlighting the technical complexity and advanced capabilities required for operations at such extreme depths.
The Turkish energy minister further revealed that preparations for the mission have spanned more than a year, combining field research with advanced analytical work.
Notably, Bayraktar confirmed that Türkiye’s Ministry of Energy utilized artificial intelligence technologies to process geological data and finalize the precise drilling coordinates, according to TRT Afrika.
The deployment of the Cagri Bey drillship marks a significant milestone in Türkiye’s expanding energy diplomacy, underscoring Ankara’s growing role in deep-sea energy exploration.
As noted by TRT Afrika, the operation also reflects Türkiye’s strategic partnership with Somalia, as both countries move toward unlocking offshore energy potential with broader regional economic and geopolitical implications.
