Somalia: Turkish commander awards Erdoğan medal to Somali army officer in Mogadishu
MOGADISHU, Somalia — A visit to the Somali capital by Turkey’s Land Forces Commander, Gen. Metin Tokel, sparked debate after he bestowed a medal on behalf of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to a Somali officer, with reports questioning whether Somalia’s official protocol for foreign honors was followed.
The officer was named as Lt. Col. Aadan Mohamed Farah, who leads the Somali National Army’s 18th Gorgor Brigade in the Middle Shabelle region.
According to the reports, the Turkish commander presented the decoration directly, bypassing Somalia’s formal procedures for accepting foreign state awards. Somali officials have yet to issue a public response.
Lt. Col. Aadan oversees troops securing areas in Middle Shabelle where Turkey is building military facilities. The reports also linked him to operations in South West State that culminated in the ouster of the administration led by Abdiaziz Laftagareen earlier this year.
The same reports alleged the medal acknowledged his role in those operations, though neither Ankara nor Mogadishu has confirmed the rationale for the award.
Turkey has emerged as one of Somalia’s closest security partners over the past decade, supplying training, equipment, and sustained support. The Turkish-backed Gorgor commandos form a key elite force, regularly deployed against Al-Shabaab and for other security assignments nationwide.
The Turkish Embassy in Mogadishu and Somalia’s Ministry of Defense did not immediately comment, and the details surrounding the award and its justification could not be independently verified.
AXADLETM
