Turkey

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. 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…

Israel’s late-December decision to recognize North Western State of Somalia has collided with entrenched Arab and African interests in the Horn of Africa—and is unlikely to translate into lasting influence in Somalia, according to a prominent regional affairs scholar. Ali Bakr, professor of international affairs, security and defense at Qatar University, said Israel has sought to expand its presence in the Horn since 2023. He told the Novosti news agency that the recognition of North Western State of Somalia, a self-declared…

Turkey monitors Yemen, Somalia as Erdogan, Saudi crown prince discuss regional crises and ties ANKARA — Turkey is “closely” following developments in Yemen and Somalia, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a phone call Sunday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, stressing the importance of stability and protecting both countries’ territorial integrity, according to Turkey’s Communications Directorate. The two leaders discussed bilateral relations along with regional and global issues, the directorate said. Erdogan…

Türkiye begins building Somalia spaceport after completing feasibility, design work Türkiye has completed feasibility and design studies for a new spaceport in Somalia and begun the first phase of construction, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir said Tuesday, marking a strategic push to secure independent access to space and a foothold in the global launch market. The announcement followed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks at a joint news conference in Istanbul with Somali President Hassan Sheikh…

ISTANBUL — Somalia and Türkiye moved to deepen their energy partnership with high-level talks in Istanbul on Monday, as the countries reviewed ongoing hydrocarbon exploration and mapped operational plans ahead of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s upcoming visit to Türkiye. Somali Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Dahir Shire Mohamed met with Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar to assess the status of joint exploration work in Somalia’s onshore and offshore basins and…

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud will travel to Ankara on Tuesday to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a high-stakes visit that comes days after Israel said it would recognize North Western State of Somalia and as Turkey and Somalia weigh the next steps in offshore energy exploration. Two people familiar with the plans said Erdogan is expected to address Israel’s unilateral move during talks with Mohamud. The Somali leader also plans to brief Ankara on a seismic survey completed in October off Somalia’s…

Egypt, Turkey and Djibouti back Somalia, reject Israel’s North Western State of Somalia recognition CAIRO — Egypt’s foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, held coordinated calls with counterparts from Somalia, Turkey and Djibouti in an immediate regional backlash to Israel’s announcement recognizing North Western State of Somalia as an independent state. The four governments said they categorically reject the move and reaffirmed support for Somalia’s unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty. In statements released after the…

Libya's army chief, General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, was killed when the Falcon 50 jet he and four others were traveling in crashed in central Turkey, Turkish authorities and Libyan officials said. The aircraft was en route from Ankara to Tripoli when contact was lost about 42 minutes after takeoff. Officials said the jet had requested an emergency landing before it went down; searchers later found wreckage southwest of Ankara near the village of Kesikkavak. An investigation into the cause of the crash has been…

Somalia confirms delay in $30 million Turkish budget support as budget vote looms MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s government has confirmed a delay in receiving $30 million in annual budget support from Turkey, a setback arriving as lawmakers are yet to approve a federal spending plan valued at more than $1 billion. Finance Minister Bihi Iman Egeh told local media on Wednesday that Ankara’s transfer — a recurring injection into Somalia’s treasury in recent years — has not arrived on its usual schedule. “Turkey has been…

Turkey starts building Somalia spaceport, a strategic equatorial launch site drawing global scrutiny Turkey has begun constructing a satellite and rocket launch site on Somalia’s Indian Ocean coast, a bold step that Ankara says will accelerate its space ambitions and that outside observers say is already drawing intense attention from rival powers. The spaceport — publicly backed by Baykar chairman Selçuk Bayraktar — is being developed under Turkish state authority on a roughly 30-by-30-kilometer coastal tract. Turkish…