The Turkish Parliament has given its approval to a motion presented by the Presidency to extend for two years, starting from July 27, the deployment of Turkish troops in Somalia, within the framework of joint operations against Al Shabab fighters and in a context in which Ankara aims to safeguard its growing interests in the Horn of Africa country.
The initiative empowers the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to set the size, scope, schedule, and rules of the Turkish military deployment in Somali territory until July 2028. Turkey first sent troops to the African country in the summer of 2024 and, since 2017, has been engaged in training Somali soldiers.
According to the text released by the Turkish Parliament and cited by the portal Turkish Minute, the units of the Turkish Armed Forces will be able to operate in areas jointly determined by the two governments, including Somalia's maritime jurisdiction zones, and will be authorized to cooperate with third countries and international organizations.
Somalia requested military support under a defense and economic cooperation agreement signed between the two states, under which Turkey has established a military presence that includes F-16 fighter jets and attack helicopters.
Mogadishu, the Somali capital, hosts Turkey's largest military base abroad, while Ankara is building nearby a facility intended for missile and space rocket testing.