Somaliland has raised fresh concerns over Turkey’s expanding military footprint in Somalia after a senior official claimed Ankara is seeking to establish a drone base in the country.
The reported plan has emerged as a new point of contention between Hargeisa and Ankara, with Somaliland officials portraying Turkey’s growing military relationship with Mogadishu as a development that could alter the security balance in the Horn of Africa.
Mohamed Osman Fadal, a senior foreign affairs adviser to Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, raised the issue while speaking to Middle East Eye, saying Turkey’s military presence in Somalia was becoming an important consideration in Somaliland’s security calculations.
“Turkey has F-16s in Mogadishu, and it wants to build a drone base in Somalia,” Fadal said.
His remarks were made in the context of Somaliland’s request for stronger air-defence capabilities, with the official saying Hargeisa wants Israel to provide systems that could protect its territory against what it regards as a growing military threat from across the border.
The claim concerning a planned Turkish drone base has not been independently confirmed, and neither the Turkish government nor Somalia’s Federal Government has publicly announced such a facility in the material cited by the report.
Nevertheless, the allegation has drawn attention because it comes against the backdrop of an increasingly close defence partnership between Ankara and Mogadishu.
Turkey’s expanding military presence
Turkey has developed one of the most significant foreign military partnerships in Somalia, with its involvement extending from training Somali forces to broader defence cooperation.
Ankara operates its largest overseas military training facility in Mogadishu, where Somali troops have been trained as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s national security institutions.
The relationship has also moved into more advanced military cooperation.
Turkey has supplied Somalia with military equipment and aircraft, while Turkish personnel have continued to work alongside Somali forces in the country’s campaign against al-Shabaab.
Recent reporting has also highlighted the presence of Turkish F-16 fighter jets and other military aircraft in Somalia. The aircraft were publicly seen over Mogadishu during celebrations marking the anniversary of Somalia’s armed forces earlier this year.
Fadal specifically pointed to the presence of the fighter jets as part of the reason Somaliland is seeking air-defence capabilities.
“We need air defence systems,” he said.
The official’s comments suggest that Hargeisa’s concern is not limited to conventional ground forces but increasingly includes the possibility of advanced Turkish aircraft and unmanned systems operating from Somali territory.
Fadal also made clear what Somaliland wants from its newly established relationship with Israel.
“We want Israel to support us against Turkey,” he said.