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MOGADISHU, 12 November 2026 Turkey on Thursday denied reports that it would deploy 15,000 troops to Somalia, saying its military role in the Horn of Africa country remains focused on training, advice and military aid.
“Claims that Turkey will send 15,000 troops to Somalia at Somalia’s request do not reflect the truth,” Turkish Defence Ministry spokesperson Rear Admiral Zeki Aktürk said, answering reporters’ questions after the ministry’s weekly press briefing in Istanbul.
Aktürk said the Somali-Turkish Task Force Command and Turkey’s Air Element Command, both based in Somalia, were continuing to help build Somalia’s capacity to fight terrorism through military assistance, training and advisory work.
The denial followed reports on social media and in some Somali news outlets last week, citing no named sources. The reports said Somalia had appealed to allies for 20,000 troops after Uganda’s withdrawal of its forces, and that Turkey had agreed to deploy 15,000 soldiers to Mogadishu, Barawe and Baidoa before January.
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Somalia’s government did not comment.
Turkey is one of Somalia’s closest security partners and has been expanding its military presence in the country as Mogadishu battles al-Shabaab. Turkey opened its largest overseas military base in Somalia in 2017, and has trained at least 16,000 Somali troops, including specialised Gorgor commando units.
Turkey increased its own troop presence in Somalia from roughly 400 to 800 troops in early 2025, and deployed F-16 fighter jets to Somalia for the first time in January 2026.