By Abukar Osman - Reporter
Türkiye, 27 May 2026 – Somalia is seeking to expand its strategic partnership with Türkiye into the mining sector, as Mogadishu looks for technical support to map and develop the country’s mineral reserves.
Somali Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Dahir Shire Mohamed told Anadolu Agency that the issue was discussed during a meeting in Istanbul with Türkiye’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar.
Mohamed said the two sides discussed accelerating cooperation under a mining memorandum of understanding signed in 2016.
“We want to review that MoU and see where we can start,” Mohamed said. “At least, to form a technical committee to review the data we have.”
The minister said Somalia has extensive mineral resources, ranging from silica sand to uranium, and that Türkiye’s technical expertise could help map and develop those reserves.
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“Our country has plenty under the ground,” Mohamed said. “We want to extract and develop them in a peaceful, reasonable, and friendly way.”
The renewed focus on mining comes as Somalia and Türkiye deepen their energy cooperation, including offshore oil and gas exploration. Mohamed said Somalia expects positive results by the end of the year from ongoing deepwater drilling operations with Türkiye.
He said cooperation between the two countries has moved from humanitarian support and security assistance into strategic sectors such as hydrocarbons, mining, trade and investment.
Mohamed said developing Somalia’s natural resources could support economic growth, create jobs and strengthen the country’s long-term development, while also helping build local expertise through training and knowledge transfer.
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