Turkey deployed F-16 Fighter Jets to Somalia amid expanding investment

Turkey has deployed three F-16 fighter jets to Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, marking a significant expansion of Ankara’s military footprint in the Horn of Africa as it deepens investments in the country’s energy and space sectors.

Multiple outlets, including Middle East Eye and Bloomberg, reported the deployment. Officials told Middle East Eye that Turkey has been constructing facilities at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport over recent months to host the aircraft. Satellite imagery reviewed by the outlet shows several new hangars built since September, while Turkish engineers have been working on-site in recent days to prepare for the jets’ arrival.

Open-source flight data shows multiple Turkish cargo flights to Mogadishu over the past 10 days, which Middle East Eye reported were carrying spare parts and ammunition. A source familiar with the deployment told the outlet that the move comes ahead of Ankara’s planned dispatch of an oil exploration platform to Somalia later this year.

Turkey’s defence ministry has not publicly confirmed the deployment. However, ministry sources cited by Middle East Eye said Ankara maintains an air command in Somalia. “Our Air Component Command and the Somali-Turkish Task Force continue to contribute to enhancing Somalia’s capacity to combat terrorism through military assistance, training, and advisory activities,” the sources said.

Bloomberg also reported that “a small number” of Turkish F-16s are now stationed in Somalia, citing sources who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. According to the report, the deployment is intended to reinforce Turkey’s ongoing drone operations against Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked group that has fought Somalia’s government for more than two decades.

The deployment comes amid deepening military cooperation between Ankara and Mogadishu. On Wednesday, Somalia’s cabinet appointed Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud, a Turkish-trained officer, as commander of the Somali National Army. Under a 2024 defence agreement, Turkey has supplied Somalia with armed drones, attack helicopters, and utility helicopters, and has committed to helping establish a Somali naval force.

Over the past two decades, Turkey has steadily expanded its presence in Somalia, becoming one of the country’s most influential partners. Much of this engagement has focused on Somalia’s reported natural resources, with Ankara making significant investments in offshore and onshore oil and gas exploration. In addition to energy projects, Turkish officials have proposed building a spaceport in Somalia, a plan publicly confirmed by Somalia’s president.

Turkey has also taken on a major role in managing and investing in Somalia’s strategic infrastructure, including the Port of Mogadishu and Aden Adde International Airport, key gateways for trade and travel. Ankara has further consolidated its influence by establishing its largest overseas military base in Somalia, underlining its long-term interest of the country’s security sector.

As a result of these wide-ranging investments and defence ties, Turkey has emerged as Somalia’s largest economic and military partner. The deployment of Turkish fighter jets reflects not only the depth of this relationship but also intensifying regional competition in the Horn of Africa, where global and regional powers are vying for influence. Ankara’s growing presence signals its determination to remain a dominant player in both Somalia’s development and the region’s broader geopolitical landscape.