Turkey Rejects Reports of 15,000-Troop Deployment to Somalia

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Turkey has dismissed reports that it plans to deploy 15,000 additional troops to Somalia following an alleged request from the Federal Government, saying the claims are false.

Turkish Defence Ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Zeki Aktürk rejected the reports during a weekly press briefing on Thursday, stating that the allegation of a planned deployment did not reflect the truth.

Ankara said its existing military mission in Somalia would continue providing military assistance, training and advisory support to help strengthen the Somali armed forces’ capacity to fight terrorism.

Turkey maintains a military presence in Somalia through the Somali-Turkish Task Force and an air component command. Its main training facility, TURKSOM, in Mogadishu officially opened on September 30, 2017, and has played a central role in training Somali military personnel, including elite Gorgor units.

The Gorgor forces are among the specialised units of the Somali National Army involved in operations against Al-Shabaab, alongside the Danab forces trained with US support.

The reported figure of 15,000 troops had circulated amid wider discussions about Somalia’s security arrangements and the role of international partners. However, Turkey’s latest statement rules out the reported deployment, while reaffirming its ongoing military cooperation with Mogadishu.