Turkish

KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda’s military chief, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has set off another round of diplomatic unease, this time by calling for $1 billion in compensation for Uganda’s mission in Somalia while also saying he wants to marry the “most beautiful woman” in Turkey. The commander of Uganda’s armed forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni made the remarks in a series of striking statements that once again highlighted his flair for provocation. Kainerugaba said marrying a Turkish national was a personal requirement,…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Sunday moved to underscore Uganda’s deep and costly military involvement in Somalia, stressing that Kampala has continued to bankroll troop deployments beyond the African Union mandate and has absorbed heavy losses in hardware without compensation. The president’s remarks offered a diplomatic rebuttal to recent pointed comments from Uganda’s Chief of Defense Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who has drawn attention for his criticism of foreign influence in the Horn of…

Saturday April 11, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia and Türkiye took a major step Friday toward the country’s first offshore deep-water oil drilling project, as President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met with Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar in Mogadishu. The talks centered on deepening the two countries’ strategic ties, with energy, natural resources and the blue economy high on the agenda. President Mohamud said the partnership had entered what he called a historic phase, underscoring the arrival of…

Mucahithan AvciogluFriday April 10, 2026 A Turkish deep-sea drilling vessel has reached Somalia, setting in motion what Ankara is calling a “historic mission” and marking Türkiye’s first overseas deep-sea drilling operation, the energy and natural resources minister announced Thursday. “The Cagri Bey (ship) has arrived in Somalia for its historic mission,” Alparslan Bayraktar said on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal, saying the effort would usher in “a brand-new chapter in the energy history of both Türkiye and…

Thursday April 9, 2026 Türkiye’s deep-sea drillship Çağrı Bey is due to dock in Mogadishu on Friday, launching a nearly 10-month drilling campaign that will mark the country’s first deepwater exploration project beyond its own shores. The vessel set sail from southern Türkiye in mid-February and is expected to wrap up its 53-day voyage with a ceremony in the Somali capital, where Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar is scheduled to attend. Once in port, the ship will head to a drilling site roughly 372…

Monday April 6, 2026 Türkiye is pushing back hard against an online attempt to tie it to the downing of a U.S. F-15 fighter jet over Iran, with the country’s official anti-disinformation body saying the claims are part of a broader campaign to draw Ankara into the war. The Directorate of Communication’s Center for Combating Disinformation dismissed allegations that Turkish air-defense systems shot down a U.S. F-15 and that Ankara is arming Iran with advanced anti-aircraft and UAV missiles. In a statement on…

By Nuri AdenTuesday April 7, 2026 A wave of anticipation is sweeping across Somalia as the country prepares to receive the Turkish drilling ship Cagri Bey, due in Mogadishu from April 9 in a development officials say could mark a turning point in Somalia’s oil and gas quest. In an exclusive interview with TRT Afrika, Somalia’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Dahir Shire Mohamed, called the arrival a historic moment for the nation. “This is something that, as Somali people, we have been yearning for a very long…

Monday April 6, 2026 Türkiye's Çağrı Bey drillship is seen at a port, Mersin, southern Türkiye, Feb. 14, 2026. (AA Photo) Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia is on the cusp of a historic first in its offshore energy sector, with Türkiye’s drillship Çağrı Bey due to arrive on April 10 to begin the country’s first deep-sea drilling campaign, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said. Bayraktar, speaking at a gathering in Trabzon on April 4, said he plans to travel to Somalia before the vessel docks. “With the…

Türkiye Diyanet Foundation delivers Ramadan food aid to 8,250 Somali families amid deepening drought MOGADISHU, Somalia — A Turkish humanitarian organization has delivered food assistance to 8,250 families across drought-affected parts of Somalia during Ramadan, Turkish officials said Friday, as prolonged dry conditions continue to strain access to food and water in the Horn of Africa nation. Türkiye Diyanet Foundation (TDV) said it distributed aid to families in seven states and 13 regions under its Ramadan relief program,…

Deni, Turkish envoy discuss security cooperation and political transition in Somalia MOGADISHU, Somalia — Puntland State state President Said Abdullahi Deni met Thursday with Turkey’s ambassador to Somalia, Alper Aktaş, for talks centered on security cooperation, political stability and humanitarian pressures as the country navigates a tense electoral transition and persistent militant threats. The high-level meeting, attended by a delegation of senior Turkish Embassy officials, reviewed the general situation across Somalia…