Turkey

Turkish-trained soldiers graduate in Somalia amid ongoing battle MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia welcomed another contingent of Gorgor's troops on Sunday after successfully completing their training at the Turkish-run military school in Somalia, as the country bolsters its troops in the fight against al-Shabaab militants. Turkey is one of Somalia's security partners and has worked hard to ensure…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered to secure Afghanistan’s vital Kabul international airport in a bid to improve US-Turkey relations as American and NATO troops complete their pullout from the war-battered country. But a Taliban warning underscores the military and diplomatic challenges of the Turkish offer. The drive to Kabul’s main airport has turned into a crawl during the 20-year US security presence in Afghanistan, with ever-increasing security checkpoints slowing travellers as they inch towards the…

Somalia flies policewomen for training in Turkey MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Somali federal government airlifted 49 female police officers for further training to Turkey, just weeks before elections were held in the country, which derailed for several months due to internal political wrangling. From July 25, the country will begin holding senatorial elections and the electoral process is expected…

The Taliban on Tuesday warned Turkey against extending its troop presence in Afghanistan as US-led forces leave the country, insisting the decision was "reprehensible". "The decision ... is poorly recommended, a violation of our sovereignty and territorial integrity and of our national interests," the group said in a statement,…

In line with its friendly attitude towards African countries, Turkey stands with one of the youngest countries on the continent. In southern Sudan, projects are underway from Turkish aid and development agencies. In the last decade, since South Sudan gained independence, state development, aid and education agencies have helped the country implement a number of projects to lift the people. The African country of South Sudan with a population of 12 million was ousted from Sudan on June 9, 2011.…

The Somali military has killed 15 al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab terrorists in the central Galgaduud region, according to a statement issued on Sunday. An operation was carried out by Gorgor, the Somali special forces trained by Turkey, in the village of El Dhere, 15 kilometers south of Dhusamareb, the capital of the state of Galmuduug. In a brief statement on Twitter, the Somali army said dozens of al-Shabab terrorists were also injured in the operation. A large weapons cache was also seized during the…

Turkey seeks to develop spaceport in Somalia ANKARA, Turkey - The Republic of Turkey is in talks with three countries to develop a spaceport in Somalia and a rocket to perform moon landings, the space agency chief said, as Ankara continues to explore opportunities in the country of the Horn of Africa. For nearly a decade Turkey has proven to be a reliable development friend of Somalia, but its…

Germany is hosting a new international conference on Libya on Wednesday 23 June. The presence of many countries and actors on the ground should make it possible to consolidate the progress made in recent months, in particular as regards the conduct of elections. The withdrawal of foreign forces planned by the first conference in Berlin 18 months ago has not been followed.…

How Turkey is responsible for the instability in Somalia MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Republic of Turkey has been drawn into Somalia's domestic politics, with opposition leader Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame now claiming that Ankara is directly responsible for the issues plaguing the Horn of Africa nation. Turkey is a major development, financial and security partner for Somalia, a relationship that…

Officials representing Turkey, Russia and the UN discussed the Libya issue at a meeting in the Russian capital Moscow on Monday. Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia's special envoy to the Middle East and Africa, Turkey's Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Önal and Jan Kubis, UN special envoy to Libya, met in Moscow on Monday, according to a statement from the Kremlin. At the meeting, they stressed the need to strengthen international initiatives under UN supervision to support the forthcoming elections in Libya.…