Turkey’s Minister of Energy, Alparslan Bayraktar, has announced that the country will begin drilling for oil in Somalia in 2026.
Speaking before the Turkish Parliament’s Planning and Budget Committee, Minister Bayraktar revealed that Turkey has completed seismic surveys in three offshore areas along the Somali coast. “Based on the results of the geological and seismic data, we plan to move to the drilling phase in 2026,” he said.
Bayraktar emphasized that the Somali oil exploration project is part of Turkey’s broader strategy to expand its energy investments across Africa. The move highlights Ankara’s growing interest in the Horn of Africa region and its potential to become a key partner in Somalia’s natural resource development.
