Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Somalia’s Ports and Marine Transport Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, Turkish diplomatic sources said on Thursday.
The closed-door meeting took place in the Turkish capital, but no further details were released.
In this week, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also held talks with Minister Nur. Discussions are believed to have centered on expanding bilateral cooperation in maritime infrastructure and energy development, although neither side issued an official statement.
The meetings come amid deepening maritime ties between the two countries following the deployment of Türkiye’s Oruc Reis seismic exploration vessel to Somalia’s offshore waters.
According to Türkiye’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the Turkish-built vessel completed its first intercontinental mission, conducting a three-dimensional seismic survey across three blocks covering 4,464 square kilometers.
The survey, which began on October 25, 2024, aimed to assess Somalia’s offshore energy reserves. The collected data will be analyzed in Ankara to evaluate the potential for oil and natural gas drilling—a move that could unlock Somalia’s long-untapped energy sector.
The energy partnership reflects Türkiye’s growing strategic engagement in the Horn of Africa and Somalia’s efforts to develop its blue economy and attract foreign investment.
