Turkey's TPAO, Somalia's petrol authority sign onshore exploration deal

Turkey's state-owned energy company TPAO and Somalia's petroleum authority signed a deal on joint onshore hydrocarbon exploration in Somalia, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said.

Bayraktar was speaking at a ceremony in Mogadishu to welcome Turkey's Oruc Reis seismic research vessel, which will start searching for oil and natural gas off Somalia's coast under a March agreement.

He said the new accord would expand Turkey's cooperation with Somalia.

"With this agreement, we will carry out oil and gas research operations on Somali land fields," he said without providing details.

Earlier this year, Turkey and Somalia signed a defence and economic cooperation agreement during a visit to Ankara by the Somali defence minister.

Turkey has become a close ally of the Somali government in recent years. It has built schools, hospitals and infrastructure and provided scholarships for Somalis to study in Turkey.

In 2017, Turkey opened its biggest overseas military base in Mogadishu. It also provides training to the Somali military and police.