Türkiye has stopped short of denying responsibility for two deadly strikes reported along Puntland State’s coast, where at least 13 people were killed as Turkish vessels, helicopters and drones monitored the pirate-held cargo ship M/V LUTUF.
AXADLE, Puntland State — Asked by BBC Somali about the attacks, Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry reportedly said it had “no information” about the operation. The wording did not amount to a direct denial of Turkish involvement.
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A statement that forces did not conduct an attack would be an unequivocal rejection of responsibility. Saying there is “no information,” by contrast, neither confirms involvement nor excludes it.
Ankara has not issued a public statement explicitly saying Turkish forces were not behind the strikes.
Two strikes reportedly killed at least 13 people
The first strike took place near Garmaal after a small boat reportedly returned from delivering supplies to the hijacked M/V LUTUF. Four people were killed and two others injured.
Early accounts identified the victims as suspected pirates. Relatives and residents later disputed that characterization, saying the dead were civilian fishermen. Puntland State officials have likewise condemned attacks on civilians and property belonging to coastal communities.
A second strike was reported near Jiifle on August 23, when a missile hit a small boat that had left the Dhinowda Dhig coastal area. At least nine people were reportedly killed.
The attack came after the M/V LUTUF had been moved towards the Jiifle coastline. The identities of the people aboard the boat, and whether they had any links to the hijackers, have not been independently verified.
No government has officially claimed responsibility for either strike. Still, scrutiny of Türkiye has grown because Turkish naval and aerial assets were reportedly operating near the hijacked vessel at the time of the attacks.
Ship was carrying cargo to Türkiye’s Mogadishu base
The Cameroon-flagged M/V LUTUF was seized on August 17, about 3.5 nautical miles off Marraya in Puntland State’s Eyl district.
According to the Associated Press, citing a Somali official familiar with the incident, the vessel was carrying weapons, communications equipment and satellite technology intended for TURKSOM, the Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu.
The ship had 10 crew members on board: six Indian nationals, one Turkish national, one Georgian and two Serbian security guards.
After the hijacking, two Turkish-owned vessels moved towards the M/V LUTUF, while Turkish helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles tracked the ship and nearby coastline. Local reports have also said Turkish warships surrounded or closely monitored the vessel.
The combination of Turkish military activity, the ship’s cargo for a Turkish military facility and the two fatal strikes has intensified questions about Ankara’s possible role.
Yet Türkiye’s response to BBC Somali—that it had “no information” about the operation—does not identify who carried out the attacks. It also cannot accurately be described as a formal denial by the Turkish government.
Puntland State demands an explanation
Puntland State has urged countries involved in international counter-piracy missions to account for the attacks along its coastline.
The Puntland State Security Ministry condemned the return of piracy but cautioned that military operations causing civilian deaths or damaging local property could weaken cooperation between Puntland State’s security institutions and international partners working to combat piracy.
Official responsibility for the strikes remains unconfirmed. The central unresolved issue is why Türkiye, whose vessels and aircraft were reported to be operating around the M/V LUTUF, has said only that it has “no information” instead of categorically denying that its forces conducted the attacks.
AXADLETM
