Turkey is set to begin Somalia’s offshore drilling operations, as the Çağrı Bey drilling vessel arrives in Somali waters. The move comes amid a significant Turkish military buildup, including the recent deployment of F-16 fighter jets to Mogadishu, underscoring Ankara’s strategy of economic and security engagement in the Horn of Africa.
Ankara’s drilling initiative follows an MOU signed between its Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) and US’s oil giant Chevron in Istanbul on energy development, highlighting Ankara’s ambition to develop joint projects both in Türkiye and internationally, including Somalia.
With oil development now coupled with hard-power projections in the Horn of Africa, Turkey positions itself as a gatekeeper over both revenue flows and maritime access, while Somalia navigates the risks and opportunities of its first offshore hydrocarbon frontier.
The Horn of Africa remains a theater of strategic rivalry, with the U.S. reinforcing its regional posture and external actors seeking footholds along one of the world’s most critical maritime corridors.
The strategic significance of Somalia’s coast has intensified since Israel’s formal recognition of Somaliland, altering power calculations in the most sensitive region.
