Turkey Begins Construction of Spaceport in Somalia, Baykar CTO Says

GOOBJOOG NEWS|ANKARA: Türkiye has started building a spaceport in Somalia, marking a significant expansion of Ankara’s strategic and technological footprint in the Horn of Africa, according to comments by Baykar Chief Technology Officer Selçuk Bayraktar.

Speaking publicly, Bayraktar said the facility is being constructed near the Equator, a location prized for space launches because it allows rockets to take advantage of the Earth’s rotation and reduce fuel costs.

“Türkiye has a spaceport in Somalia, at a location close to the Equator,” Bayraktar said. “When you have a coastline on the ocean, you can deploy launch vehicles. There are 12 such locations in the world. Only one remains, and one of the best is the space station that will be in Somalia. Its construction there has been started by the Turkish government.”

He added that the planned spaceport would span roughly 30 kilometres and would be used by Turkish defence and aerospace firms, including missile manufacturer ROKETSAN. “In the future, we aim to have the opportunity to use our own launch vehicles there as well,” he said.

Neither the Turkish nor Somali governments have yet released detailed technical or legal information about the project, including timelines, investment or regulatory frameworks.

Turkey’s deepening footprint in the Horn

The comments come against the backdrop of Türkiye’s steadily expanding political, military and economic engagement in the Horn of Africa, particularly in Somalia. Ankara is already one of Mogadishu’s closest partners, with interests spanning security cooperation, infrastructure, ports, healthcare, education and energy.

Türkiye operates its largest overseas military training base in Mogadishu, where it trains Somali security forces, and Turkish firms manage key infrastructure including the capital’s port and airport. More recently, Ankara has moved into offshore energy exploration under agreements signed with the Somali government.

A spaceport would represent a new and highly strategic layer to that partnership, linking Türkiye’s growing ambitions in defence, aerospace and space technology to Somalia’s geography and access to the Indian Ocean.

Somalia’s space ambitions

For Somalia, the project aligns with broader ambitions to enter advanced technology sectors and position itself as a strategic hub rather than a peripheral state. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has previously spoken about the importance of investing in science, technology and innovation as part of Somalia’s long-term recovery and development.

In earlier remarks, the president has pointed to Somalia’s geographic advantages, including its long coastline and proximity to the Equator, as assets that could support future participation in global space and satellite initiatives. Somali officials have also highlighted the potential for satellite technology to support telecommunications, climate monitoring, maritime security and disaster response.

If realised, the spaceport could place Somalia on the map of countries hosting launch infrastructure, a small and highly exclusive group globally. Analysts note, however, that such ambitions would require strong governance frameworks, security guarantees and international regulatory compliance.