Türkiye deploys F-16s to Mogadishu as offshore oil push gathers pace
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Türkiye has deployed three F-16 fighter jets to Mogadishu, deepening its military footprint in Somalia as Ankara advances plans for offshore oil exploration and broader strategic investments in the Horn of Africa.
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The jets arrived Wednesday and are believed to be part of Türkiye’s expanding security support for the Somali National Army (SNA), as well as preparations for the expected deployment of a Turkish offshore drilling platform next month. The move underscores Ankara’s growing role as Somalia’s most influential security and economic partner.
Key developments:
- Three Turkish F-16s arrived in Mogadishu on Wednesday, signaling a long-term air presence.
- New hangars and upgraded facilities have been built at Aden Adde International Airport to host fighter aircraft.
- Ankara plans to deploy the Cagri Bey drilling vessel to Somali waters in February for Türkiye’s first overseas deepwater exploration mission.
- Somalia’s new army chief, Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud, is Turkish-trained, reflecting deepening defense ties.
- Türkiye has already supplied Somalia with Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci drones, and T129 ATAK attack helicopters.
Sources familiar with the operation said Türkiye has spent several months constructing and upgrading infrastructure at Aden Adde International Airport to host the fighter aircraft. Turkish engineers have been active at the airport in recent days to finalize preparations ahead of the deployment. Satellite imagery reviewed by Middle East Eye shows several new hangars built at the airport since September, suggesting long-term planning for an expanded Turkish air presence. Open-source flight data also indicates a series of Turkish military cargo flights to Mogadishu over the past 10 days, likely delivering equipment, spare parts and ammunition tied to the deployment.
The arrival of the F-16s appears closely linked to Ankara’s plans to launch its first overseas deepwater energy exploration project off the Somali coast. Earlier this month, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Türkiye would deploy the Cagri Bey drilling vessel to Somalia in February, marking a milestone in Turkish energy policy. He said the operation would focus on offshore blocks within Somalia’s territorial waters. Somali officials have described the project as a potential turning point for the country’s largely untapped energy sector after decades of conflict.
The F-16s add to a growing list of Turkish military systems in Somalia. Ankara has already supplied Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci armed drones and T129 ATAK attack helicopters, integrating Turkish platforms into SNA operations. Regional sources also say plans are underway for a satellite and rocket launch facility in northern Mogadishu, signaling ambitions that extend from security and energy to space capabilities.
The military buildup comes as Somalia reorganizes its armed forces leadership. The federal government this week appointed Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud as the new commander of the SNA. Mohamud, a university graduate with a master’s degree, received advanced military training at the Turkish National Defense University — a sign of Türkiye’s influence in shaping Somalia’s security institutions.
Türkiye has been Somalia’s closest international partner since 2011, when it spearheaded a large-scale humanitarian response during the famine and later expanded into military training, infrastructure development and economic investment. The latest deployments signal a new phase in that relationship, blending security guarantees with strategic energy — and potentially space — initiatives that could recalibrate power dynamics along the western Indian Ocean and the wider Horn of Africa.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
