By: Hiiraan online

Somali Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Dahir Shire Mohamed on Monday met with Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar to discuss strengthening cooperation in the energy sector.

In a statement posted on Türkiye’s social media platform NSosyal, Minister Bayraktar said the talks focused on the current status of hydrocarbon exploration activities being carried out jointly in Somalia’s onshore and offshore areas, as well as operational plans for the next phase of cooperation.

Bayraktar noted that the discussions took place ahead of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s upcoming visit to Türkiye.

“We are building Türkiye–Somalia energy cooperation on solid foundations,” Bayraktar said. “As Türkiye, we view Somalia as one of our most important partners in Africa, and we believe that cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector will open the doors to a new era in the near future.”

Somalia and Türkiye signed a major hydrocarbon exploration agreement in March 2024, granting Türkiye broad exploration and development rights in Somali territory. The deal includes provisions allowing Türkiye to recover up to 90 percent of costs and export its share of produced resources, a framework that has sparked public debate over concerns of neo-colonialism versus long-term economic development.

The agreement builds on long-standing strategic ties between Mogadishu and Ankara and aims to unlock Somalia’s significant oil and gas potential, which is estimated to include billions of barrels of untapped reserves. Drilling operations are expected to begin by 2026, marking a major milestone in the development of Somalia’s energy sector.