Turkish parliament approves 2-year military deployment in Somalia

By Aynur Ekiz and Ahmet Bugra Olac

ANKARA (AA) – The Turkish parliament approved a Presidential motion to deploy the military in Somalia for two years to support security against terrorism and other threats under the Türkiye-Somalia defense cooperation agreement.

The motion, signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Türkiye has been providing training, assistance and advisory support in Somalia for more than 10 years to ensure security and stability and to help restructure that country’s defense and security forces to combat terrorism.

The motion highlights that since 2009, the Turkish army has been actively supporting international efforts to combat piracy, armed robbery and maritime terrorism in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Somalia (excluding Somali territorial waters), the Arabian Sea and adjacent regions.

The support is based on the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation and the UN Security Council resolution of Dec. 16, 2008.

The mandate was most recently extended by the Turkish parliament on Jan. 17 for another year.

The motion notes that Türkiye will command Combined Task Force-151 for the seventh time starting in July.

It stressed that despite having adequate personnel and resources, Somali defense and security forces have not reached the desired level due to economic challenges.

The Somali government wants to control maritime areas and integrate resources into the economy to enhance the capacity of its security forces and other state institutions.

The goal aligns with the Somali Security Sector Development Plan, which was adopted at the Somalia Security Conference co-hosted by Türkiye in New York on Dec. 12, 2023, and aims for Somalia to take full responsibility for its security in the near future.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul