Turkey's Drillship Çağrı Bey Arrives in Mogadishu for Somalia's First Offshore Oil Drilling; Opposition MP Raises Alarm Over 'Imbalanced' Deal

Turkish deep-sea drilling vessel Çağrı Bey arrived at Mogadishu port on April 10, 2026, to formally launch Somalia's inaugural offshore oil exploration project — a watershed moment in the country's energy history. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, and senior government officials attended a welcoming ceremony at the port. The project stems from a 2024 hydrocarbon agreement granting Turkey's state-owned energy company TPAO exploration rights to three offshore blocks covering approximately 5,000 square kilometres each (totalling ~15,000 km² of Somali coastal waters). The inaugural well — named 'Curad' (meaning 'first-born child' in Somali) — is located approximately 372 kilometres off the Somali coast and is expected to become one of the world's deepest offshore wells, targeting depths up to 7,500 metres. The drilling campaign is expected to last 6–10 months and involves approximately 500 workers. Seven months of prior seismic surveying by Turkey's vessel Oruç Reis, covering 3,500 km of Somali waters, preceded the drilling. Turkey's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar called the mission 'historic' and said it would 'open a new chapter in Turkish energy history.' President Mohamud described the Çağrı Bey's arrival as 'a national milestone that will lead to economic development, increased investment and new job opportunities.' However, the announcement drew immediate parliamentary criticism from Somali MP Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame (Wadajir opposition party), who raised alarm about what he characterized as 'deeply imbalanced' deal terms. Warsame alleged that over 90% of benefits go to Turkey, leaving Somalia with minimal revenue from its own resources, and that the agreement lacks corporate taxation frameworks, social investment guarantees, and provisions for local job creation or Somali professional involvement. He further noted the vessel's arrival coincides with the current administration's term expiring amid the April 14 constitutional deadline — raising questions about 'the country's long-term wealth being signed away without proper parliamentary oversight or public accountability.' Also on April 10, the Somali Future Council (opposition bloc comprising Puntland, Jubbaland, and the National Opposition Council) was convening an emergency high-level meeting to discuss 'measures to save Somalia's statehood' in the countdown to the April 14 parliamentary mandate expiry — underscoring the simultaneity of the governance crisis with major economic decisions.