ISTANBUL — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held a high-level summit with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul on April 16, 2026, reaffirming the expanding strategic partnership between the two nations across energy, trade, and security sectors.
The bilateral meeting focused on enhancing cooperation in national security, economic development, and infrastructure sectors. Erdogan stated that Ankara would continue taking steps to strengthen relations with Somalia across multiple sectors, particularly trade and energy. He described the launch of operations by Turkey’s deep-sea drilling vessel Çağrı Bey off Somalia’s coast as a symbol of growing bilateral cooperation.
Deepening Strategic Partnership
During their discussions, the two leaders assessed the significant returns from the existing economic partnership between Somalia and Turkey. President Mohamud recognized the effective role of the Turkish government in supporting Somalia’s state-building efforts, particularly in security stabilization, infrastructure reconstruction, and expansion of essential public services.
Erdogan reiterated Turkey’s support for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, stating that Ankara would continue backing diplomatic efforts to fully resolve tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia, which have strained regional relations in recent months.
In a significant boost to Somalia-Turkey defence relations, the two countries signed Amendment Protocol Number 1 to the Implementation Protocol of the Financial Assistance Agreement in July 2025, ushering in a new phase of enhanced military cooperation. The revised protocol outlines improved frameworks for delivering critical support in areas including training, equipment provision, and institutional development.
Historic Energy Milestone
A key focus of the meeting was the activation of Somalia’s energy sector. Both leaders marked the beginning of deep-sea hydrocarbon extraction in Somalia, which follows the successful deployment of the Turkish drilling vessel Çağrı Bey to Somali waters.
President Mohamud officially launched the advanced Turkish offshore drilling vessel during a high-level ceremony at the Port of Mogadishu, formally marking the beginning of Somalia’s deep-sea hydrocarbon exploration. “The Federal Government is committed to responsible and transparent extraction of natural resources for the direct benefit of Somali citizens,” the president said.
The vessel is expected to drill the Curad-1 well, located approximately 372 kilometers offshore from Mogadishu, at a target depth of 7,500 meters — ranking among the world’s deepest offshore drilling efforts. Turkey’s Energy Ministry has described the campaign as Turkey’s first deep-sea exploration drilling activity abroad.
Economic Transformation and Regional Impact
The summit ensures the strategic direction of both countries, guaranteeing that their alliance will result in greater economic independence and enhanced commercial opportunities for Mogadishu.
Somalia is attracting significant international investment into its energy sector, with exploration efforts having started without any security issues. The petroleum minister has confirmed that U.S. companies Coastline Exploration and Liberty Petroleum have secured Production Sharing Agreements for a combined 10 offshore blocks.
The offshore campaign rests on a formal bilateral framework signed in March 2024, when Turkey and Somalia concluded an intergovernmental agreement and memorandum of understanding covering onshore and offshore oil and gas cooperation. The deal spans exploration, evaluation, development and production, as well as midstream and downstream activities, including transport, refining and sales.
Turkey’s Longstanding Commitment to Somalia
Ankara has been progressively strengthening its strategic bilateral relations with Somalia over more than a decade. Turkey has been a key ally to Somalia, providing significant support in areas such as military training, infrastructure development, and humanitarian aid, including operating a military training base established in Mogadishu in 2017.
The TURKSOM Military Academy in Mogadishu remains a cornerstone in Somalia’s journey towards building a capable, self-reliant, and professional national army. Established in 2017, the academy has played a pivotal role in developing Somalia’s military leadership through comprehensive training programs.
Resource Governance and National Development
The federal government has emphasized that all future revenues from the hydrocarbon sector will be allocated to fund essential public services, advance infrastructure projects, and ensure regional stability. The president has affirmed that the national administration maintains an unwavering commitment to equitable wealth distribution and institutional integrity.
Domestically, this resource extraction functions as a powerful sovereign instrument. Revenue from these offshore reserves provides the Federal Government with autonomous funding to strengthen the Somali National Army, eliminating historical dependence on international subsidies.
Somalia’s Ambassador to Turkey, Fathudin Ali Ospite, has described the presence of the Çağrı Bey off Somalia’s coastline as a pivotal moment in the nation’s journey toward economic self-sufficiency, emphasizing that the exploration initiative is anticipated to generate employment for Somali youth and enhance professional capabilities within the energy sector.
“Beyond direct employment, this partnership is likely to stimulate broader economic growth by attracting investment, strengthening local industries, and increasing government revenues,” Ambassador Ospite said. “With improved financial capacity, Somalia will be better positioned to invest in infrastructure, education, healthcare and housing, supporting long-term national development.”
A New Chapter for Somalia-Turkey Relations
The Istanbul summit between Presidents Mohamud and Erdogan underscores the growing strategic partnership between Somalia and Turkey, as both nations work to expand cooperation across military, economic, and diplomatic spheres.
Senior Turkish officials attended the meeting, including Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, National Intelligence Organization chief Ibrahim Kalin, and other key advisers. The two leaders emphasized the importance of strengthening their strategic partnership and welcomed the start of Somalia’s offshore oil exploration campaign, describing it as a milestone in economic cooperation.
“When the drillship reaches its target, Somalia will not merely extract oil; it will secure absolute economic sovereignty,” the president has stated. The successful implementation of the drilling program will substantially boost national industrialization, finance essential public infrastructure, and ensure the long-term economic autonomy of the nation.
