Friday January 30, 2026
Mogadishu (HOL) — Türkiye has deployed three F-16 fighter jets to Mogadishu, deepening its military footprint in Somalia as Ankara moves ahead with ambitious plans for offshore oil exploration and broader strategic investments in the Horn of Africa.
The jets arrived on Wednesday and are believed to be part of Türkiye’s expanding security support for the Somali National Army, as well as preparations for the expected deployment of a Turkish offshore drilling platform next month. The move underscores Ankara’s growing role as Somalia’s most influential security and economic partner.
Sources familiar with the operation said that Türkiye has spent several months constructing and upgrading facilities at Aden Adde International Airport to host the fighter aircraft. Turkish engineers have been working at the airport in recent days to finalize preparations ahead of the deployment.
Satellite imagery reviewed by Middle East Eye shows several new hangars built at the airport since September, suggesting long-term planning for an expanded Turkish air presence. Open-source flight data also indicates a series of Turkish military cargo flights to Mogadishu over the past 10 days, likely delivering equipment, spare parts and ammunition linked to the deployment.
The arrival of the F-16s appears closely tied to Ankara’s plans to launch its first overseas deepwater energy exploration project off the Somali coast. Earlier this month, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Türkiye would deploy the Cagri Bey drilling vessel to Somalia in February, marking a major milestone in Turkish energy policy.
Bayraktar said the drilling operation would focus on offshore blocks within Somalia’s territorial waters and represents Türkiye’s first deepwater exploration mission abroad. Somali officials have described the project as a potential turning point for the country’s energy sector, which remains largely untapped after decades of conflict.
In addition to the F-16 deployment, Ankara has already supplied Somalia with armed drones, including Bayraktar TB2s and Akinci UAVs, as well as T129 ATAK attack helicopters. Plans are also underway for a satellite and rocket launch facility in northern Mogadishu, according to regional sources.
The military buildup comes as Somalia reorganizes its armed forces leadership. This week, the federal government appointed Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud as the new commander of the Somali National Army. Mohamud is a graduate of a Turkish university, holds a master’s degree, and received advanced military training at the Turkish National Defense University reflecting the depth of Türkiye’s influence in shaping Somalia’s security institutions.
Türkiye has been Somalia’s closest international partner since 2011, when it launched a large-scale humanitarian response during the famine and later expanded into military training, infrastructure development and economic investment. The latest deployments signal a new phase in that relationship, blending security guarantees with strategic energy and space ambitions that could reshape Somalia’s role in the region.