Turkish naval deployment to Somalia aims to support oil and gas exploration initiatives in the region.
Turkey is set to send naval support to Somali waters following an agreement between both countries for oil and gas exploration off the Somali coast. Earlier this year, Turkey and Somalia signed a defense and economic cooperation agreement and the deployment is part of that. Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan submitted a motion seeking authorization to deploy the Turkish military to Somalia, including its territorial waters, to the nation’s parliament. This move follows the Turkish Energy Ministry’s announcement that an exploration vessel will be dispatched later this year as part of a hydrocarbon cooperation deal between the two nations. Turkey has strengthened its alliance with Somalia, building schools, hospitals, and infrastructure, providing scholarships, and opening its largest overseas military base in Mogadishu in 2017. Additionally, Turkey has been training Somali military and police forces.
SOURCE: EAST AFRICAN