Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has undertaken a tour of the Turkish oil exploration vessel, Oruç Reis, in Mogadishu after the official conclusion of its mission off the Somali coast.

During his visit, the President commended the crew and his Turkish partners for their dedicated efforts on this strategic survey.

The vessel sailed to Somalia in October 2024 to conduct seismic surveys for oil and natural gas in three areas where Türkiye has secured exploration licences.

President Mohamud expressed optimism that the results of the exploration would significantly transform Somalia's economy and bolster the cooperation between the two nations.

"This is a significant achievement that reinforces our objective for Somalia to fully harness its natural resources, transforming them into economic opportunities and social progress," President Mohamud said during the inspection tour on Thursday.

"The government and people of Türkiye continue to lead the way in demonstrating that Somalia is a viable country for investment,’’ he added.

Growing partnership

The President emphasised the government's commitment to strengthening the national economy by capitalising on Somalia's rich natural resources. He noted that the responsible exploitation of these resources is key to addressing the nation's current challenges.

The oil and gas survey by Oruç Reis vessel was part of the wider cooperation between Türkiye and Somalia.

In furtherance of the cooperation, Türkiye and Somalia signed an onshore hydrocarbon exploration and production agreement in April.

The deal allows Turkish Petroleum (TPAO) to begin oil and gas exploration across three land blocks covering approximately 16,000 square kilometres in Somalia.

The agreement was signed in Ankara by Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and Somali Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Dahir Shire Mohamed, marking a new phase in bilateral cooperation following earlier offshore agreements.