Ankara secures 90% of Somalia’s oil and gas profits in landmark deal, sparking fears of energy colonialism under the guise of partnership.
Turkey’s new hydrocarbons deal with Somalia grants it 90% of all oil and gas output with zero upfront costs, raising questions about sovereignty, exploitation, and geopolitical consequences in the Horn of Africa.
Turkey didn’t just strike oil in Somalia — it struck gold. In a sweeping hydrocarbons agreement now before the Turkish Parliament, Ankara has secured 90% of Somalia’s oil and gas output, full export rights, zero upfront costs, and even the legal turf of arbitration on its own soil. Welcome to the 21st-century blueprint of “soft conquest” — wrapped in partnership, sealed with military escorts.
Somalia, teetering between internal fragility and global neglect, has offered up its vast offshore reserves to Turkey on terms that defy global industry norms. No signature bonuses. No surface fees. Only 5% royalties capped for Somalia, and Turkish corporations get to walk away with the lion’s share — free to export, sell, and profit without local interference.
This isn’t partnership. It’s a power grab masquerading as cooperation.
Worse still, Turkey can assign its rights to any foreign third party without even opening a local office — a clause that opens the door for opaque subcontracts and external interference in Somalia’s maritime zones. Turkish warships, under the pretext of anti-piracy missions, will escort deep-sea drill ships come September. But what they’re really guarding is Ankara’s geopolitical gamble — a stranglehold on East Africa’s most lucrative energy basin.
The optics are troubling. Somalia’s government, seeking legitimacy and allies, is locking itself into a long-term dependency that gives away critical sovereignty in exchange for vague promises of training and defense aid. If oil is supposed to be Somalia’s path to self-reliance, this deal builds a highway — but Turkey is behind the wheel.
As the global energy chessboard tilts eastward, Somalia risks being reduced to a pawn — or worse, a client state. The message to Mogadishu’s elites is clear: either rewrite this deal, or history will.
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