By HAN News Desk
MOGADISHU — A Turkish military transport aircraft has landed in Mogadishu carrying what is believed to be a new batch of Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), further strengthening defence cooperation between Turkey and Somalia.
The Airbus A400M Atlas aircraft, operated by the Turkish Armed Forces, took off from Tekirdağ Çorlu Airport in northwestern Turkey before touching down at Aden Adde International Airport in the Somali capital earlier this week.
According to sources familiar with the delivery, the cargo included components and support equipment for Bayraktar drones, which Turkey has been supplying to Somalia as part of a growing military partnership aimed at enhancing Somalia’s counterterrorism and border security capabilities.
The new delivery underscores Turkey’s expanding military footprint in the Horn of Africa, where it maintains its largest overseas military base, Camp TURKSOM, located in Mogadishu. The base has trained thousands of Somali soldiers since its establishment in 2017, as Ankara continues to support Somalia’s efforts to rebuild its national army.
Analysts say the arrival of additional Turkish-made drones is expected to boost the Somali National Army’s surveillance and strike capabilities in its ongoing fight against the al-Qaeda-linked militant group al-Shabab, which continues to wage an insurgency across parts of the country.
Reports have also emerged that the same aircraft had, in recent days, transported military equipment to Port Sudan, where Sudanese armed forces are engaged in fierce fighting with rival paramilitary groups.
While there has been no official confirmation from Turkish or Somali authorities regarding the Mogadishu delivery, observers view the move as part of Ankara’s broader strategy to expand its influence across Africa through a mix of humanitarian aid, trade, and defence cooperation.
Turkey has significantly deepened its engagement with African nations over the past decade, opening more than 40 embassies across the continent and signing a series of defence and economic agreements.
In Somalia, Turkey is widely seen as one of the country’s closest allies, having invested heavily in infrastructure, education, and security since the 2011 famine that drew international attention to the country’s humanitarian crisis.
The arrival of the A400M in Mogadishu highlights not only Turkey’s continued commitment to Somalia’s stabilization but also the emerging role of drone technology in reshaping security dynamics across the Horn of Africa.
