Turkey denies plans to send 15,000 troops to Somalia
Ankara says its existing forces will keep to training and advisory work after Uganda began pulling its own troops out.
Turkey has denied reports that it plans to send 15,000 troops to Somalia, saying the claims do not reflect the truth. Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Rear Admiral Zeki Aktürk said on Thursday that Turkish forces already in the country would continue their training and advisory mission.
Aktürk said the Somalia-Turkish Task Force and the Air Element Command were helping to build Somalia's counter-terrorism capacity through military assistance, training and advisory activities. The figure first appeared in early November in Somali media, which cited unnamed security sources and claimed Turkey had agreed to deploy soldiers to Barawe, Baidoa and Mogadishu before January 2027.
Uganda has begun withdrawing its forces from Somalia after nearly 20 years, with all Ugandan personnel due to leave by the end of 2027. Turkey's main base is Camp TURKSOM in Mogadishu, opened in 2017, and its mandate in the country has been extended through July 2028.
Why it mattersUganda's withdrawal leaves Mogadishu and key routes in Lower Shabelle with fewer protecting forces, and Turkey's mandate now runs through July 2028.