MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Turkey has been branded a “resources pirate” after launching offshore oil exploration in Somali waters, amid mounting claims the agreements underpinning the operations were never lawfully approved.
The explosive accusation came from Somali Senator Professor Abdi Ismail Samatar, who on Thursday issued a sharply critical statement on X, questioning both the legality and transparency of Ankara’s actions.
“Turkish vessels are prospecting and drilling for oil in Somali waters. This is exceptionally alarming as the entire affair is illegal. President Erdogan and his people know that the so-called defense and petroleum agreements between Türkiye and Somalia are fraudulent,” Professor Samatar said.
At the heart of his criticism lies a fundamental concern: Somalia’s Parliament has yet to scrutinize – let alone endorse – the agreements in question. According to the senator, their contents remain unseen by lawmakers, raising serious doubts about their legitimacy.
“The Somali Parliament has yet to see the texts of the two ‘agreements.’ Despite knowing these facts, the Turkish leadership has decided to ignore them and proceed with the exploration. This behavior and actions make Türkiye resources pirates. No amount of masquerading will alter the facts as well as Ankara’s guilt in conniving with an illegitimate and derelict Regime in Mogadishu,” he added.
But the senator’s warning did not stop at oil. He painted a broader and more troubling picture of Turkish involvement in Somalia – one that, he argues, extends into the country’s fragile political and security landscape.
“Second, and equally troubling, is the use of Türkiye military resources by Villa Somalia to shore up the sinfully corrupt dictatorship in Mogadishu whose tenure ends in less than a month. Ankara has found solace in silence, but the Somali people will not forget Türkiye’s great deception,” he said.
In a striking conclusion, Professor Samatar invoked the long-standing ties between the Somali and Turkish people – relationships forged during times of crisis and humanitarian need – suggesting that trust may now be eroding.
“The Somali people fondly remember the kindness of the Turkish people at the hour of their need a decade and half ago, but it now appears that the Ankara government’s stealth agenda was a cover for its lust to create a neo-colony in the Horn of Africa.”
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