Turkey Deploys F-16s in Somalia to Step Up Strikes on Al-Shabaab

(Bloomberg) -- Turkey has sent F-16 fighters and attack helicopters to Somalia to step up strikes on al-Shabaab militants and protect its growing interests in the Horn of Africa country, according to people familiar with the matter.

Ankara now has a few of the fighter jets in Somalia, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters. 

The move is meant to bolster Turkish drone operations against the Islamist group, which is linked to al-Qaeda and has been waging an insurgency against the government in Mogadishu for two decades. The Indian Ocean city — Somalia’s capital — is home to Turkey’s largest overseas military base, while Ankara is building a nearby site to test missiles and space rockets.

Turkey’s defense ministry declined to comment. Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi didn’t answer his phone or respond to queries sent by text message. Abdiaziz Golofyare, director of communications at Somalia’s presidential palace, declined to comment.

Turkey has struck al-Shabaab in recent months in conjunction with the US, which also targets Islamic State fighters in Somalia.

This week, Somalia’s cabinet replaced the head of the army in an effort to reinvigorate its battle against the militants. Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud will replace Odowaa Yusuf Rageh immediately, state media said on Thursday. Mohamud is expected to step up efforts to reclaim territory held by al-Shabaab.

Turkey’s had helicopters and combat drones in Somalia for years. It started training Somali soldiers in Mogadishu in 2017.

Over the past decade, Ankara has vastly expanded its influence through defense, energy and infrastructure projects. Turkey has said it will soon start drilling for oil off Somalia’s coast.

Turkey’s latest military deployment follows Somalia’s decision to end security and ports deals with the United Arab Emirates, which has been boosting ties with the breakaway Somali region of Somaliland. That policy has frustrated some of the UAE’s Middle Eastern allies, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt.

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