Mogadishu (Somalia Today) – Türkiye deployed three F-16 fighter jets to Mogadishu on Wednesday, escalating its military engagement in the Horn of Africa as Ankara expands its presence in Somalia’s energy and space sectors, Middle East Eye reported.
Somali officials familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye that Türkiye has been constructing a dedicated facility at Aden Adde International Airport to host the multirole fighters over the past few months.
Turkish engineers have worked at the airport for several days to prepare the site for the jets’ arrival, the report said.
Middle East Eye said its analysis of satellite imagery showed several new hangars built at the airport since September.
The outlet also cited open-source flight-tracking data showing a surge in Turkish cargo flights over the past 10 days, activity it said may be linked to sustaining the deployment, including the equipment and supplies required for fighter operations.
A source familiar with the deployment said that Ankara positioned the F-16s in Somalia as part of a security buildup ahead of plans to dispatch a deepwater oil exploration platform to Somali waters.
Offshore drilling push
The drilling vessel is expected to be the Cagri Bey, which Türkiye plans to deploy for offshore operations later this year, the report said.
Türkiye is advancing plans for a spaceport project in northern Mogadishu, a proposal that would take advantage of Somalia’s proximity to the equator for launches under Ankara’s wider National Space Program.
While the Turkish Ministry of National Defence did not publicly confirm the F-16 deployment, ministry sources told local media on Thursday that Ankara maintains an air command in Somalia.
“Our Air Component Command and the Somali-Turkish Task Force based in Somalia continue to contribute to enhancing Somalia’s capacity to combat terrorism through military assistance, training, and advisory activities,” the sources said.
The deployment comes at a moment of heightened regional friction. Ankara has for years supported Somalia’s fight against Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked insurgency that still controls parts of the countryside and carries out periodic attacks.
The security calculus has also sharpened after Israel’s formal recognition of Somaliland earlier this month, a move Mogadishu has rejected as a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty.
Türkiye has responded by publicly emphasising Somalia’s territorial integrity and signalling continued backing for the federal government.
On Wednesday, Türkiye’s National Security Council underscored that stance after its first meeting of 2026.
“The council underscored Türkiye’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and emphasized that Türkiye will continue to uphold the bonds of brotherhood by standing with the Somali people in their fight against terrorist organizations,” the statement said.
Military overhaul
Around the same period, Somalia’s cabinet on Thursday appointed Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud as commander of the Somali National Army (SNA), part of a broader leadership reshuffle as the government presses operations against Al-Shabaab.
Mohamud holds a master’s degree from a Turkish university and has received training at Türkiye’s National Defence University, highlighting Ankara’s role in shaping segments of Somalia’s officer corps.
Türkiye’s military footprint in Somalia has expanded steadily. Ankara deployed three T129 Atak attack helicopters to Mogadishu in June, alongside Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci drones already in service.
Under a defence and economic cooperation framework signed in February 2024, Türkiye also transferred two utility helicopters to the Somali navy and agreed to help develop maritime capacity to secure Somalia’s waters — a priority as Mogadishu seeks to move toward offshore exploration.
Since 2011, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has invested heavily in Somalia, opening a major diplomatic mission, expanding development projects, and operating the TURKSOM military training base in Mogadishu.
Turkish firms also play a role in managing strategic infrastructure, including the capital’s airport and port.
