Turkey plans to deploy navy to Somali waters after new defense deal

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has presented a motion to the Turkish Parliament on Friday filed a request for permission to deploy Turkish troops in Somali territorial waters.

The move follows a defense and economic cooperation agreement between Turkey and Somalia signed in February aimed at strengthening Somalia's maritime defense capabilities and establishing a navy for the African nation.

The secret deal was reportedly in response to a January agreement between Ethiopia and the breakaway state of Somaliland that grants Addis Ababa the right to build a military port there.

Earlier this month, Turkey hosted the foreign ministers of Somalia and Ethiopia, in an attempt to mediate and resolve the ensuing crisis. Although the meetings ended with a joint statement expressing willingness to engage, sources told Middle East Eye that Ethiopia, despite initiating mediation, has shown strong reservations and a reluctance to make progress. The Turkish foreign ministry declined to comment.

This development has apparently accelerated Turkey's involvement in Somalia. On Thursday, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar signed a hydrocarbon exploration and production agreement in Istanbul with his Somali counterpart, Abdirizak Omar Mohamed. The agreement allows Turkish state-owned company TPAO to conduct exploration activities in three different blocks within Somalia's maritime zones.

Observers in Ankara say the government may have decided to send troops to protect TPAO vessels that are said to be carrying out drilling operations in Somali waters in the coming months.

The motion presented to the Turkish parliament calls for a two-year, renewable mandate that would grant President Erdogan the authority to deploy the necessary troops, which in this case would likely come from Ankara's naval forces. According to the motion, seen by Middle East Eye, this action is in response to a formal request from the Somali government.

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“Turkey’s support will include assistance against terrorism, piracy, illegal fishing, smuggling and other threats,” the motion said. “The UN Security Council resolution of 1 December 2023 on Somalia’s fight against terrorism also provides a legal basis for this cooperation.”

The motion directly refers to the February agreement with Somalia as the basis for these actions. Although Somalia has formally ratified the agreement, its contents have remained secret until now. Erdogan's government has not yet presented the agreement to the Turkish parliament for its own ratification process.

According to the memorandum accompanying Erdogan's motion, Somalia's defense and security forces, although well-staffed and resourced, are struggling to effectively carry out their missions due to economic difficulties. The February agreement aims to strengthen Somalia's capacity to manage its maritime jurisdiction areas and integrate marine resources into the Somali economy.

The motion also highlights the importance of securing Somalia's economic resources and contributing to regional stability and security for Turkey's foreign trade and maritime transportation interests.

“The deployment of Turkish armed forces will be coordinated with the Somali authorities and will cover the maritime jurisdiction areas of Somalia,” the motion added.

Ankara’s ties with Somalia, which began in 2011 when Erdogan visited famine-stricken Mogadishu, have evolved from a humanitarian initiative to a comprehensive security and commercial partnership. Somalia is now home to Turkey’s largest military base abroad. Moreover, Turkey’s sale of armed drones to Ethiopia in 2021 played a significant role in Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s efforts to defeat Tigray forces in Ethiopia’s civil war.