A coordinated disinformation campaign has been launched against the oil exploration agreement signed between Türkiye and Somalia in February 2024. The campaign, traced to a Europe-based website operated by exiled Turkish nationals linked to the FETÖ terrorist group, has circulated Somali-language propaganda online, targeting both governments and misrepresenting the terms of the agreement.
According to a source who spoke to WAJ, the disinformation was intentionally translated into Somali and distributed across social media platforms to sow distrust between the Somali public and the government of Türkiye. The website responsible has a known history of publishing anti-Türkiye content and is associated with individuals involved in spreading falsehoods against the Turkish government following the 2016 coup attempt.
The agreement, which was publicly submitted to the Turkish Grand National Assembly and ratified by the Somali Parliament last year, allows Türkiye to assist Somalia in exploring and potentially extracting offshore oil. Under the terms, Türkiye will shoulder the financial burden of exploration — including seismic studies, ships, and drilling infrastructure — and is entitled to recover its investment through initial oil revenues.
A clause allowing Türkiye to receive up to 90% of the revenue during the cost-recovery phase has been misrepresented by propagandists as a profit-sharing mechanism. In reality, the 90% figure only applies to the recovery of initial investment costs and is temporary. Once the costs are recouped, revenue sharing will revert to new terms to be negotiated between both parties.
“This is a standard international practice, especially in cases where the host country lacks the financial capacity to fund early-stage oil exploration,” a source familiar with the agreement told WAJ. Similar models were used by Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia during their early oil development phases.
The campaign has sparked strong reactions from Somali citizens, many of whom have publicly defended Türkiye’s longstanding role in Somalia’s reconstruction and sovereignty. Posts across Somali platforms have rejected the claim that Türkiye is attempting to exploit Somali resources, calling the narrative an attempt to destabilize the strategic partnership between the two nations.
According to a diplomatic source, the agreement is fully transparent and contains no hidden clauses. Türkiye has taken on all financial risk — and may receive nothing in return if no oil is discovered. Once commercial viability is confirmed, a new production-sharing agreement would be signed.
The agreement reflects growing cooperation between the two nations in sectors ranging from security to infrastructure. Observers note that such campaigns aim to weaken Somalia’s ability to manage its own resources by targeting one of its most consistent international allies.
The current narrative being pushed, a source said, does not originate from within Somalia but from external actors seeking to damage the credibility of the Somali government and its international partnerships.