Turkish jets strike al-Shabab targets in Somalia: What to know
ANKARA — Turkish F-16 fighter jets carried out airstrikes against al-Shabab targets in Somalia on Tuesday, killing nearly 35 militants, according to Somalia’s Defense Ministry, as Ankara’s growing military role in the country faces scrutiny.
Turkey’s F-16 deployment to Somalia, where Ankara maintains close military ties with the federal government, has been public knowledge since January, when the aircraft were first seen operating from Mogadishu Aden Adde International Airport.
Details: “The Somali National Army, with the support of the armed forces of the Republic of Turkey, carried out airstrikes this morning using F-16 fighter jets in the Goday area of Lower Shabelle region, targeting caves, weapons depots and hideouts,” a statement by the Somali Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
The Goday area lies in southern Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region, a strategically important zone near Mogadishu where al-Shabab has used rural hideouts, supply routes and weapons caches to sustain attacks against Somali government forces and the capital.
The ministry said the strikes triggered large explosions at the target site, adding that the location was being used to store weapons, explosives and military equipment.
Why it matters: The statement, which was still visible on the Somali Defense Ministry’s Instagram account, appeared to differ from a later version circulated on the ministry’s website, where the reference to Turkish F-16s was replaced by wording crediting Somalia’s “international partners” rather than Turkey.
The change appeared aimed at downplaying Turkey’s direct role in the strike, as Ankara’s expanding military footprint in Somalia has drawn growing domestic scrutiny and taken on an increasingly operational role in Somalia’s war against al-Shabab.
Turkey’s expanding military deployments to Somalia have also drawn criticism from opponents of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who accuse the federal government in Mogadishu of using Turkish support to consolidate its power.
Turkey’s growing footprint in the Horn of Africa country also comes amid intensifying regional rivalries. In December, Israel announced that it recognized Somaliland, Somalia’s breakaway region, which declared independence in 1991 but remains internationally unrecognized.
Following the move, Turkey formally designated Somalia’s territorial integrity as a national security priority, as it seeks to maintain its interests in Somalia and the broader region.
Somalia has been the springboard for Turkey’s outreach in the Horn of Africa. Turkey operates its largest overseas military base in Mogadishu, where it trains the Somali army.
That role has widened this year following the deployment of Turkish F-16s to the country. Turkish tanks and other military equipment have also been spotted on Somali streets.
Know more: Turkey’s expanding military role in Somalia comes alongside growing strategic investments, including offshore hydrocarbon exploration in the country.
Turkey has been conducting drilling operations in three offshore blocks off the coast of Somalia this year under energy cooperation agreements signed between the two countries in 2024.
Ankara is also building its first overseas spaceport on Somalia’s Indian Ocean coast, a facility expected to support Turkish satellite launches and missile testing as part of its push to expand indigenous defense and space capabilities.
