MOGADISHU, Somalia — Türkiye has reportedly delivered F‑16 fighter jets to Somalia, coinciding with the arrival of a high‑level Turkish delegation in the capital city Mogadishu this week, reinforcing Ankara’s expanding security partnership with the Horn of Africa nation, Arlaadi Media Network reports.
The delegation includes senior figures such as Special Forces Commander Ünsal Hayal, Africa Affairs Director at Turkish Foreign Ministry, Gökhan Demirtola, and Deputy Foreign Affairs Head Turgay Olgun, who met Somali leaders to reaffirm support for joint counter‑terrorism efforts and defence cooperation.
Sources say the deployment includes access to weapon storage facilities at Aden Adde International Airport, a move that signals a deeper Turkish footprint in training, capacity building and strategic support for Somali security forces.
Turkey has already established a major military training base in Mogadishu and deployed troops to assist in operations against Al‑Shabaab, reflecting years of investment in Somalia’s defence institutions.
The delivery comes against the backdrop of a wider diplomatic crisis triggered by Israel’s recent recognition of Somaliland as an independent state, a decision fiercely rejected by Somalia and many Muslim and Arab countries as a violation of its territorial integrity.
Somali and Arab governments have described the move as destabilising and a challenge to established international norms, while some analysts warn it could redraw political fault lines across the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region.
Relations with the United Arab Emirates have also deteriorated sharply. Mogadishu has cancelled all defence, security and port agreements with Abu Dhabi, accusing the UAE of actions that undermine Somali sovereignty — a rupture that underscores broader mistrust and complications involving investment interests in Somaliland and strategic alignments across the Gulf.
Somalia’s government has positioned itself at the centre of a growing coalition, including Egypt, Turkey and other regional partners, in opposition to unilateral changes to its internationally recognised borders, while continuing its long battle against extremist groups and efforts to stabilise and rebuild national institutions.
