ANKARA (Somaliguardian) – Turkey has deployed three warships to waters off Somalia, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea to support offshore oil drilling operations that its state-run energy company is expected to begin in the coming weeks, Turkish Ministry of Defense said on Monday.
The move comes days after Ankara announced that it had dispatched the Çağrı Bey drilling ship to Somali waters to begin offshore oil drilling in several blocks along the country’s coastline, following the completion of seismic surveys last year.
The warships – TCG Sancaktar, TCG Gökova and TCG Bafra – are now stationed across Somali waters and nearby strategic corridors to provide logistical support to the Somali Turkish Task Force Command, deliver military assistance to Somalia and secure the forthcoming drilling activities.
This week, a Turkish naval vessel docked at the Port of Mogadishu carrying modern battle tanks and other military equipment. The armored vehicles were later seen being transported through the capital’s streets, underscoring Ankara’s expanding security footprint as it prepares to execute a series of large-scale projects in Somalia. Those projects include the construction of a spaceport near Mogadishu, the development of a missile testing site and the launch of offshore drilling operations.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey is expected to arrive in the Horn of Africa this week. He recently said that Ankara would soon begin work on the three major initiatives in Somalia.
Somali political analysts say Turkey has completed preparations to exploit the country’s natural resources under agreements with the federal government in Mogadishu, which critics describe as beset by corruption and patronage. Under the reported terms of the arrangement, Turkey would receive 95 percent of the profits once oil production begins, with Somalia retaining 5 percent.
Turkey is widely regarded as the second most influential foreign actor in Somalia after the United States. It operates its largest overseas military base in Mogadishu, where it trains Somali forces that function largely under Turkish doctrine and support. Ankara equips those forces with weapons and vehicles and provides drone strike assistance during operations.
Somali government officials and their supporters have hailed the arrival of Turkish warships, weapons and F-16 fighter jets as a milestone for the country’s security and development. Critics, however, argue that Somalia risks becoming a Turkish client state and a strategic southern stronghold for Ankara – a shift that could draw in other regional powers.
Israel plans to sign an agreement with Somaliland to establish a military base in Berbera, a development that, critics warn, could turn Somalia into a geopolitical battleground between competing Middle Eastern powers.
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