Somalia, 21 October 2025 — Somali police officers trained in Türkiye are now leading the country’s counterterrorism and special operations units, forming a critical part of Somalia’s efforts to defeat Al-Shabaab and restore nationwide security.
Gendarmerie Col. Tansu Utku, Interior Counselor at the Turkish Embassy in Mogadishu, said Türkiye’s law enforcement expertise has been instrumental in rebuilding Somalia’s police institutions.
“Transferring the experience gained over the years by the law enforcement agencies affiliated with our Interior Ministry to the law enforcement agencies of friendly and allied countries significantly contributes to security on a global and regional scale,” Utku told Anadolu.
He noted that Somalia’s police force lost much of its capability following the collapse of the central government in 1991, but Türkiye has played an active role in its recovery.
“Our country has consistently stood by the Somali people and the Somali state, with whom we share a bond of destiny, and played an active role in the restructuring of the Somali police force following the reestablishment of the federal government in 2012,” Utku said.
According to Utku, short-term training programs began in 2012 under bilateral security agreements, while Türkiye’s Police Academy and the Gendarmerie and Coast Guard Academy have hosted Somali undergraduate and postgraduate students since 2015.
“Dozens of police officers have completed their training in Türkiye and are returning to their countries to serve in active and critical positions,” he added.
Since 2019, Somalia’s Special Operations Unit has gained the capability to conduct high-risk tactical missions — a key milestone in its counterterrorism evolution. Cooperation also continues between Türkiye’s Directorate of Migration Management and Somalia’s Immigration and Citizenship Agency under national and international legal frameworks.
Among the officers trained in Türkiye is Lt. Commissioner Abdinur, deputy commander of Somalia’s counterterrorism unit, who completed a master’s degree at the Police Academy in Ankara in 2021.
“I returned to serve my country with the training I received,” Abdinur said, adding that he also learned Turkish during his stay.
Maj. Abdi, liaison officer between the Turkish and Somali police forces, graduated and earned his master’s degree in Türkiye before serving as deputy commander of Special Operations. Similarly, Chief Inspector Olow, a police station commander, trained in Türkiye’s Police Academy Strategy Management Department in 2021.
Expressing gratitude to the Turkish people, Olow said he “greatly benefited from the training received in Türkiye.”
As Somalia moves toward full security responsibility after years of foreign military support, the growing number of Turkish-trained officers represents a new generation of leadership — equipped with advanced skills to lead counterterrorism operations against Al-Shabaab and ensure lasting national stability.