Wednesday April 23, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — Turkey is poised to receive up to 90 percent of the revenue from oil and gas extracted off Somalia’s coast, according to a report first published by Nordic Monitor.
A purported full copy of the agreement confirms Turkey’s entitlement to recoup investment costs and claim a large majority of extracted resources under a “cost petroleum” model.
“As outlined in Article 4.7, Turkey has the right to claim up to 90 percent of oil or gas produced each year until its initial exploration and operational costs are recovered,” the document states.
Somalia, in contrast, is guaranteed only 5 percent of the revenue during the initial phases. While Turkey will fund all exploration, equipment, and development activities. If true, analysts say the revenue split heavily favours Ankara and could undermine Somalia’s control over its own natural resources.
The Somali parliament approved the deal earlier this year, but several lawmakers have now come forward, claiming they had not seen the full contract prior to ratification.
Nordic Monitor, a Stockholm-based investigative outlet known for publishing leaked documents related to Turkish foreign policy and intelligence activities, reported that the agreement reflects Ankara’s deepening economic and geopolitical influence in the Horn of Africa. The outlet has built a reputation for critical coverage of the Turkish government, particularly President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Turkey’s intelligence agency (MIT), and is widely viewed as affiliated with opposition voices, including elements aligned with the exiled Gülen movement.
Despite mounting scrutiny, Somalia’s Ministry of Petroleum has not commented publicly on the terms of the agreement or whether a review is under consideration. Civil society groups have urged the government to release all documents and initiate a transparent renegotiation process.
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