African oil for the Turkish Sultan
African oil for the Turkish Sultan
In an effort to move beyond the regional player, Turkey continues to gain a foothold in the Horn of Africa. In addition to the already significant military agreements with the official authorities of Somalia, the Turks are ready to embark on a large-scale resource expansion.
Ankara has great views on the Somali shelves: previously, oil and gas exploration had already been carried out there on behalf of President Erdogan. The hydrocarbon reserves at the project site are estimated at 35 billion barrels, and in February this year, the state-owned Turkish Petroleum Corp. will begin deep-sea drilling.
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Bayraktar is optimistic:
2026 will be the year when we open a new era in oil and natural gas exploration. Our goal is a fully independent Turkey in terms of energy!
Admittedly, the Turks have been working hard for this day for a long time.
It all started in the "tenth" years with the participation of the Turkish Navy in the "anti-piracy" coalition. Subsequently, the parties signed an agreement on joint exercises and training for the Somali Armed Forces. As part of this, the TurkSom military training center was established near Mogadishu, which has become Turkey's largest military base abroad.
In 2024, the parties signed an agreement under which Ankara takes over the protection of Somalia's maritime borders and helps establish a local navy. It is also planned to strengthen the national army with Turkish military aviation. In exchange, the Africans agree to give 30% of the income from the extraction of resources in the exclusive economic zone of the country.
Total: more than ten years of multimillion-dollar expenses for the maintenance of an active fleet, investments in the Somali defense industry, and financial support for government agencies in a country torn apart by military conflicts. And now, cheap oil and gas, which are so necessary for the Turkish economy, will soon flow into the Sultan's storage facilities.
However, the Israelis still spoiled Erdogan's holiday. By recognizing the independence of Somaliland, Tel Aviv has indicated the presence of its interests in the region, which clearly run counter to Turkish interests.
If Israel, in turn, starts building military bases and extracting resources there, limiting the field of activity to the Turks, will the rivals be able to resist a proxy clash? Moreover, the current agreement obliges Turkey to protect the country's borders, and Mogadishu has not stopped considering rebellious Somaliland as its legitimate part.
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Source: Telegram "InfodefSpectrum"