Turkey's hydrocarbon mission to Somalia extends its Africa influence
Turkey-Somalia ties enter a new phase as the Turkish research vessel RV Oruc Reis heads to Somali waters to prospect for oil and natural gas.
The dispatch of a Turkish seismic research vessel to Somali waters will take Ankara's outreach efforts in Somalia and the Horn of Africa to new levels, but Turkey remains unlikely to become embroiled in the region's conflicts.
The seismic research vessel RV Oruc Reis set sail for Somalia on Oct. 6, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Somali Energy and Water Resources Minister Abdullahi Bidhaan seeing the ship off as it departed from Istanbul.
Because of the risk of piracy, the ongoing Gaza war and Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, the Turkish Navy has tasked two warships to protect Oruc Reis.
Three civilian support vessels will also accompany the ship, which took part in Turkish hydrocarbon explorations from 2017 to 2020 in areas of the Eastern Mediterranean disputed by Turkey and Greece. Oruc Reis is expected to reach the Somali capital, Mogadishu, around Oct. 25.
