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.