Turkey and Somalia concluded an intergovernmental agreement on hydrocarbons on Thursday March 7, 2024, one month after the signing of a defense agreement between the two countries. The agreement was signed in Istanbul by the Turkish Minister of Energy, Alparslan Bayraktar, and the Somali Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources, Abdirizak Omar Mohamed. Mogadishu is deepening its already close ties with Ankara amid tensions with neighboring Ethiopia.
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With our correspondent in Istanbul, Anne Andlauer
There Türkiyethe first economic partner of the Somaliaconfirms its ambitions in the Horn of Africa with an agreement which aims to “ develop the gas and oil sector in Somalia “. According to details published in the Turkish press, Ankara will help Mogadishu in its exploration and production activities, but also in refining and distribution.
The agreement concerns underground drilling as much as offshore drilling. Turkey, although dependent on hydrocarbon imports for its consumption, has experience in the exploitation of its own resources, in particular its gas deposits in black Sea. The agreement with Somalia, however, presents many challenges, starting with that of financing exploration projects.
This initiative comes after Ethiopia and the separatist region of Somaliland signed an agreement in early January which offers the former access to the Gulf of Aden in exchange for its recognition of Somaliland. A qualified text “ illegal » by Mogadishu, which signed a defense deal with Ankara last month under which Turkey will help it defend its coastline and rebuild its naval forces.
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