Türkiye is accelerating a multi-layered energy strategy aimed at strengthening supply security, increasing domestic production and expanding its global upstream presence. Anchored in offshore exploration, international partnerships and enhanced technical capacity, the strategy reflects Türkiye's broader ambition to position itself as a more influential player in regional and global energy markets.
Within this framework, Turkish Petroleum (TPAO) has signed three memoranda of understanding with major international energy companies — ExxonMobil, Chevron and BP — alongside a partnership agreement with Shell. The announcements coincide with the first overseas deployment of Türkiye's newest seventh-generation ultra-deep sea drilling vessel, marking a tangible step in the country's expanding offshore capabilities.
A memorandum of understanding with ESSO Exploration International Limited, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, covers joint oil and natural gas exploration in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, as well as in additional international areas to be determined. The agreement is designed to expand offshore activity while aligning domestic resource development with selective global growth.
Cooperation with Chevron establishes a framework for joint oil and gas exploration and production in both Türkiye and international fields. The partnership enables the two companies to assess and develop offshore and overseas assets together — a move Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar described as part of a new phase for TPAO, with the long-term objective of transforming it into a “one-million-barrel company," referring to daily production capacity.
Meanwhile, a MoU with BP focuses on field development, exploration assessment and collaboration on oil export capacity and natural gas transportation infrastructure. The agreement also aims to expand existing cooperation into new geographic areas.
In a separate development, TPAO signed a partnership agreement with Shell for exploration activities in Bulgaria's Block 1-26 Khan Tervel field, located within the country's Exclusive Economic Zone in the Black Sea. Situated near Türkiye's Sakarya Gas Field, the agreement grants a five-year exploration license and foresees initial seismic surveys followed by potential drilling operations.
Complementing these agreements, Türkiye's seventh-generation ultra-deep sea drilling vessel Çağrı Bey has departed for Somalia to conduct the country's first deep-sea exploration drilling operation abroad. Following a 45-day voyage, the vessel is expected to begin drilling at the Curad-1 well in April, underscoring Türkiye's growing operational reach in offshore energy.
Taken together, the agreements signed by TPAO with major global energy companies, alongside the overseas deployment of Çağrı Bey, illustrate a coordinated strategy that blends international partnerships with strengthened national capabilities. The moves signal Türkiye's intention not only to enhance domestic supply security but also to expand its strategic footprint in the evolving global energy landscape.