MERSIN, Türkiye, February 16, 2026 – Türkiye on Sunday sent its new deep-sea drilling vessel, Çağrı Bey, to Somalia in what officials described as the country’s first offshore energy exploration mission beyond its maritime jurisdiction.
The seventh-generation drillship departed from Taşucu Port in the southern province of Mersin during a ceremony attended by Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and Somali officials.
“For the first time, our deep-sea drilling ship is setting out on a mission beyond our maritime zone,” Bayraktar said, calling the deployment a “historic moment” in Türkiye’s oil and gas exploration efforts.
Çağrı Bey is the second Turkish vessel to operate in Somali waters after the research and seismic vessel Oruç Reis, which conducted a 3D seismic survey last year covering 4,465 square kilometers. It is also the first Turkish drilling ship to be deployed outside the country’s waters.
Bayraktar said the vessel is expected to reach Somalia in approximately 45 days. He indicated that it would not transit through the Suez Canal but instead travel via the Atlantic Ocean along the western coast of Africa before heading to Mogadishu Port. The mission will be protected by Turkish naval forces, with three warships escorting the vessel.
Drilling operations are expected to begin between April and May 2026 at the Curad-1 well off the Somali coast.
The deployment follows a 2024 production-sharing agreement under which Türkiye will receive up to 90 percent of initial revenues to recover exploration and operational costs. Officials estimate that Somalia’s offshore blocks could hold between 30 billion and 40 billion barrels of oil.
Bayraktar said the mission aligns with Ankara’s broader strategy to expand oil and natural gas exploration domestically and abroad as part of efforts to achieve energy independence. He reiterated that Türkiye aims to produce 500,000 barrels per day of oil or equivalent hydrocarbons by 2028 and expects to increase that figure through overseas discoveries and agreements.
Türkiye and Somalia maintain close ties, with cooperation spanning energy, defense, and infrastructure. Recent agreements between the two governments reflect what officials describe as a long-term strategic partnership focused on economic development and stability.
