Turkey To Launch First Overseas Deepwater Exploration Project Off Somalia

Via The Cradle

Tukey is planning to send a drilling vessel to Somalia this February to begin its first deep water exploration project abroad, Energy Minister ‌Alparslan Bayraktar said on Friday.

The minister said the operation with the Cagri Bey drilling vessel will focus on offshore areas in Somalia’s waters, but did not elaborate further. Ankara signed an energy exploration agreement with Somalia last year and has been seeking ways to diversify energy sources and reduce its reliance on imports. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said earlier this week that a new drilling vessel would soon be operating on the Somali coast. 

Alparslan’s announcement comes in the aftermath of Israel’s decision to recognize the separatist Republic of Somaliland. Israel last week became the first state to formally recognize Somaliland, which broke away from Somalia in 1991 but had never been recognized by any UN member state. 

Somalia has slammed the move, which was also condemned by most members of the UN Security Council, as well as Turket.

“Preserving the unity and integrity of Somalia in all circumstances holds special importance in our view. Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland is illegitimate and unacceptable,” Erdogan said.

Reports over the past year said Somaliland and Israel have been in talks to forcibly relocate displaced Palestinians from Gaza to the East African breakaway state. 

Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said two days ago that Somali intelligence confirms Somaliland accepted three Israeli conditions in exchange for recognition – specifically the resettlement of Palestinians, an Israeli military base on the Gulf of Aden coast, and accession to the Abraham Accords. Somaliland has denied this.

According to a new report by Israel’s Broadcasting Corporation (KAN), Somaliland’s president is planning an official visit to Israel and is expected to formally join the Abraham Accords. 

NOW – Turkey’s Erdogan condemns Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an illegal act aimed at destabilizing “the entire Horn of Africa.” pic.twitter.com/3TCW085JZQ

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) December 30, 2025

Israel’s i24 news outlet had previously reported that the recognition came after months of secret negotiations between the two sides.

Somalia and Turkey have accused Israel of trying to destabilize the Horn of Africa. Meanwhile, Yemen’s Ansarallah resistance movement has vowed to target any potential Israeli presence in Somalia.