HARGEISA, Somaliland ,October 4, 2026 —Somaliland is seeking air defence systems from Israel to counter what a senior presidential adviser described as growing security concerns over Turkey’s military presence in Somalia, including Turkish fighter jets stationed in Mogadishu.
Mohamed Osman Fadal, identified by Middle East Eye as a senior foreign affairs adviser to Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known as Cirro, said Hargeisa wanted Israeli assistance as Ankara expanded its military partnership with Somalia’s federal government.
“We need air defence systems,” Fadal said in an interview published by Middle East Eye. “We want Israel to support us against Turkey.”
His remarks place air defence among Somaliland’s priorities as it develops relations with Israel. They also show how officials in Hargeisa view Turkey’s support for Mogadishu as a factor in their security planning.
Middle East Eye reported that Somaliland officials were seeking protection against the growing presence of Turkish drones and warplanes in Somalia. Fadal specifically referred to Turkish F-16 fighter jets and Ankara’s plans for additional drone infrastructure.
The request follows Israel’s formal recognition of Somaliland on December 26, 2025, a major diplomatic breakthrough for the territory after more than three decades of pursuing international recognition.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and President Cirro signed a joint declaration establishing mutual recognition. Netanyahu also announced plans to develop cooperation in agriculture, health, technology and the economy.
The recognition created a formal framework for expanding relations, giving Somaliland a new diplomatic partner as its leadership sought international support for development and security.
The relationship moved forward on January 6, 2026, when Saar visited Hargeisa and met Cirro at the presidential palace. The visit was the first by a senior Israeli official following recognition.
Saar said the discussions covered the full range of bilateral relations. He also announced that professionals from Somaliland’s water sector would travel to Israel for training, providing an early example of practical cooperation.
Cirro accepted an invitation to visit Israel, while Somaliland’s foreign ministry described recognition as an important opportunity for economic development. These exchanges established a foundation for further engagement between the two administrations.
Turkey’s military presence in Somalia has meanwhile developed beyond training into a broader deployment of aircraft and naval assets.
Three Turkish F-16 fighter jets took part in a flyby over Mogadishu on April 12, 2026, during celebrations marking the Somali National Armed Forces’ anniversary, according to defence publication Janes.
The Turkish defence ministry also released footage showing fighter jets near a Turkish drilling vessel off Mogadishu. Additional footage showed attack and transport helicopters operating near Warsheikh, northeast of the capital.
The public appearances provided clear evidence of Turkish military aircraft operating in Somalia and illustrated the expanding scale of Ankara’s deployment.
On June 30, Somalia’s defence ministry announced that Somali forces working with the Turkish military had conducted strikes against Al-Shabaab positions in Lower Shabelle.
Reporting on the statement said Turkish F-16s participated in the operation around Godey. The ministry identified caves, weapons storage sites and militant hideouts among the targets.
The announcement marked a further development in Turkey’s role, with fighter aircraft being publicly linked to combat operations alongside Somali forces.
Turkey’s presence also includes a launch facility under construction near Warsheikh in Middle Shabelle, approximately 70 kilometres north of Mogadishu.
Le Monde reported that construction began in October 2025 and described the project as combining satellite-launch infrastructure with a potential ballistic missile testing role.
Somalia Today, summarising that investigation, reported that the project followed a space cooperation agreement between Ankara and Mogadishu. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly announced plans for a Somali spaceport in December.
The location gives Turkey access to an Indian Ocean launch corridor while extending its technological and security partnership with Somalia. Reports about possible missile testing have added another dimension to regional discussion of the project.
Earlier developments help explain why maritime access and foreign military partnerships remain sensitive issues between Somalia and Somaliland.
In January 2024, Ethiopia signed a memorandum with Somaliland proposing access to its coastline. The arrangement linked maritime access to Somaliland’s pursuit of recognition and triggered a major diplomatic dispute with Mogadishu.
Turkey subsequently hosted negotiations between Somalia and Ethiopia, placing Ankara at the centre of efforts to address the disagreement over access to the sea.
On December 11, 2024, Erdogan hosted Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for talks that produced the Ankara Declaration.
The agreement set out plans to negotiate commercial arrangements allowing Ethiopia reliable maritime access under Somalia’s sovereign authority.
It also provided for technical negotiations facilitated by Turkey, reinforcing Ankara’s diplomatic influence alongside its military relationship with Mogadishu.
Turkey had previously engaged directly with both Somali and Somaliland leaders. In April 2013, it hosted Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and then-Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo in Ankara.
Their communiqué committed the parties to continuing dialogue and facilitating international assistance to Somaliland. Further talks followed in Istanbul.
Those meetings form an earlier chapter in the relationship, when Turkey served as a venue for discussions between the two administrations.
Turkey and Somalia also signed a defence agreement in February 2024 covering maritime support. Combined with its Mogadishu military base, opened in 2017, that partnership provides the backdrop to Somaliland’s current search for Israeli defence assistance.