Somalia: Turkey Renews Somalia Military Deployment for Two More Years

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Radio Dalsan report from Mogadishu dated July 22, 2026, reported that Turkey’s parliament has approved a two-year renewal of the country’s military deployment in Somalia. The extension is scheduled to begin on July 27 and authorizes Turkish forces to continue training, advising and providing technical support to the Somali National Army.

According to the report, the mandate is tied to Somalia’s wider security needs, including operations against Al-Shabaab and efforts to address threats in Somali waters. The renewed mission covers support linked to countering piracy, illegal fishing, arms trafficking and other maritime security challenges. The extension proposal was submitted by the Turkish government and signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, with the stated purpose of strengthening Somali security institutions and supporting stability in the Horn of Africa.

The decision comes as Somalia continues military operations against Al-Shabaab while trying to build the capacity of its armed forces and safeguard coastal and maritime resources. Sustained external support remains significant because Somalia’s security agenda involves both internal conflict and control of a long coastline exposed to illicit activity.

Radio Dalsan noted that Turkey has become a major security partner for Somalia in recent years. Ankara opened the TURKSOM military training facility in Mogadishu in 2017, and the report says thousands of Somali soldiers have trained there. The latest parliamentary approval signals that Turkey intends to maintain a central role in Somalia’s defense cooperation, force development and maritime security efforts for at least another two years.