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The Turkish energy fleet will conduct exploration and drilling activities in an overseas region for the first time. The fleet’s newest member, Çağrı Bey, will open a new chapter in energy history by drilling in an oil-prospective area at the Curad-1 well off the coast of Somalia.

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, referring to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, said, "He went there with this crisis where a new energy architecture was needed. The most important thing that the world and this region should do is diversification in energy architecture. We need to implement different infrastructure projects," he said.

The Çağrı Bey drilling vessel, which will carry out Türkiye’s first deep-sea exploration drilling operation abroad, has arrived in Somalia after a 53-day journey. Following the welcome ceremony to be held tomorrow, the Çağrı Bey will set sail and is expected to reach the CURAD-1 well within 1-2 days. An underwater robot capable of diving to 4,000 meters will also be used for the seabed operations during the drilling operation to be conducted by the Çağrı Bey.

Çağrı Bey, one of the new deep-sea drilling vessels in Türkiye’s energy fleet set to conduct the country’s first deep-sea exploration drilling abroad, will be welcomed in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, on Friday at a ceremony attended by Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar. Çağrı Bey, which will drill to a depth of 7,500 meters at the CURAD-1 well, is expected to carry out its drilling operations for 288 days. Minister Bayraktar stated, “Çağrı Bey’s historic mission is the most concrete demonstration of Türkiye’s vision to become a global game-changer and a powerful actor in the energy sector.” Minister Bayraktar noted that this joint effort with Somalia will not only serve the prosperity of both nations but also further strengthen the brotherhood between the two countries. 

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar stated, “Recent developments in this region are pushing everyone—the countries in the region and all stakeholders—toward a new security and energy architecture. Pipelines, diversification, and route diversification—all of these must evolve into a framework where everyone can come together in a sense of shared wisdom and mutual benefit in the coming period. These crises can pave the way for an opportunity and certain reforms. As Türkiye, we are ready.”

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, referring to the tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, stated, “Our dependence on this region for oil is at a manageable level of 10 percent. As for natural gas, we had no imports of natural gas. Currently, Türkiye has no issues regarding supply or procurement.”

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar made important statements regarding current events. Assessing the impact of developments in the Strait of Hormuz on Türkiye, Minister Bayraktar stated, “From the perspective of supply security, this region currently poses no risk to us in terms of oil. There is also the natural gas dimension. Again, we have no dependence on Hormuz. “As Türkiye, we source LNG from approximately 12 different countries. We receive our natural gas via pipelines from four different countries. Neither in natural gas nor in oil have we faced any supply security issues to date. We will continue to closely monitor the situation moving forward to ensure this remains the case. At this moment, there is no supply security issue regarding energy in our country,” he said.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said, "We have no concerns regarding supply security. We do not foresee any problems with either petroleum and petroleum products, i.e., fuel, or natural gas at this time."

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar delivered important messages in France regarding international cooperation. Minister Bayraktar said, "Recent developments have once again shown us how dependent we are on oil and natural gas and how this creates enormous fragility in economic growth. Political consistency, resource diversification, and more comprehensive international cooperation are essential to successfully navigate this turbulent period.’’ Minister Bayraktar also stated that Türkiye's first nuclear power plant is expected to become operational towards the end of this year, adding, ‘This will be an important milestone for Türkiye and the beginning of a new era.’

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar delivered important messages regarding cooperation with Canada in the field of mining. Minister Bayraktar said, "Without mining and minerals, not only Türkiye, but the world cannot achieve energy transition and energy transformation. That is precisely why we are here today: to establish greater cooperation, bring expertise and experience to Türkiye, and form partnerships in the mining sector." Bayraktar also stated that Turkish Petroleum and Eti Maden could invest in Canada, adding, "We are also looking for these opportunities and alternatives."

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Türkiye Nükleer Enerji Anonim Şirketi (TÜNAŞ), which is responsible for the development of nuclear power plants in Türkiye, and the Canadian-based nuclear energy company AtkinsRealis, which provides for cooperation in the development of nuclear power plants in Türkiye. The agreement provides for a detailed assessment of the applicability of Canada's CANDU reactor technology in Türkiye. Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar said, "We attach great importance to the potential of joint work between the two countries to diversify our energy basket and increase the capacity of nuclear energy."

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar said, “I believe we have entered a new chapter in Türkiye-Canada relations. Our cooperation with Canada is of great importance.”

Within the framework of the intergovernmental agreement between Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, investment and electricity purchase agreements have been signed for solar power plants to be built in Sivas and Karaman Taşeli with a $2 billion investment. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said, “We will lay the foundations for these projects within this year. Both power plants will become commercially operational in early 2028 and reach full capacity as soon as possible.”

The series of agreements by Turkish Petroleum (TPAO) continues. A ‘partnership agreement’ was signed between TPAO and British energy giant Shell. Accordingly, TPAO and Shell have partnered for exploration activities in the Khan Tervel Field in Bulgaria's maritime jurisdiction. Explaining that the field in question is close to the Sakarya Gas Field, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar said, “We will have a 5-year license in Bulgaria's Exclusive Economic Zone.”

Increasing its regional and global effectiveness in the field of energy, Türkiye is making successive moves in the Horn of Africa, a strategic location. While Çağrı Bey Deep Sea Drilling Ship is on its way to Somalia to search for oil, a cooperation agreement in the field of energy was signed with Somalia's neighbor Ethiopia.