BAIDOA, Somalia — September 4, 2026 — The information ministry aligned with Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen accused Türkiye on Thursday of conducting F-16 airstrikes against his forces in Baidoa, alleging that Ankara had intervened in Southwest State’s political conflict and demanding an independent investigation.

The ministry said Turkish fighter jets targeted Laftagareen-aligned forces between approximately 5 a.m. and 11 a.m. on September 3 as they attempted to regain control of the city.

The allegations, including the identification of the aircraft as Turkish F-16s, have not been independently verified. The statement provided no casualty figures or supporting evidence identifying the aircraft involved.

Ministry demands answers

“Türkiye abandoned the neutrality expected of an international partner and became a direct participant in the conflict,” the ministry said in its two-page statement.

It accused Ankara of using combat aircraft to support one side in an internal Somali political confrontation. The ministry described the alleged intervention as an attempt to influence who governs Southwest State.

The statement demanded that Türkiye immediately end air and military operations connected to the conflict and publicly explain the alleged deployment of fighter jets over Baidoa.

It also called for the disclosure of the Turkish political and military authorities who authorized and commanded the reported operation, together with the legal grounds cited for it.

A further demand sought assurances that Turkish aircraft, weapons, personnel and other military assets would not be used against Somali political forces or to influence domestic political disputes.

Forces’ status disputed

The ministry described the troops allegedly targeted as Somali forces loyal to Laftagareen and explicitly rejected any characterization of them as Al-Shabaab fighters or members of another terrorist organization.

“This was not a counterterrorism operation,” it said.

That assertion represents the ministry’s account. The material provided does not independently establish the circumstances of the alleged strikes, the identities of those targeted or the operational justification of any forces involved.

The ministry argued that Turkish military cooperation with Somalia was established to strengthen national security institutions and support efforts against terrorism. It said that cooperation should not extend to military action against parties in a domestic leadership dispute.

No response from Türkiye or Somalia’s federal government was included in the material available for this report.

The statement places the alleged airstrikes within a struggle over control of Baidoa and the leadership of Southwest State.

According to the ministry, Laftagareen’s forces were seeking to restore his administration’s authority in the city. It described the administration controlling Baidoa as having been installed by Somalia’s federal government.

Those descriptions reflect the political position of Laftagareen’s camp. The statement repeatedly asserted his leadership’s legitimacy while challenging the authority of the administration in Baidoa.

Although the ministry acknowledged Türkiye’s relationship with Somalia, it said its condemnation concerned the Turkish government’s alleged decision to employ military force in an internal conflict.

It argued that relations between the two countries could not justify foreign airstrikes intended to determine a domestic political outcome.

Calls for an independent investigation

The ministry appealed to the United Nations, African Union, European Union, United States and other international partners to condemn the alleged intervention.

It requested an independent investigation into who sought and authorized the reported operation, its chain of command, its legal basis and the consequences of the alleged airstrikes.

The statement also urged NATO and its member states to seek an explanation from Türkiye, a member of the alliance.

Within Somalia, it called on opposition groups, political leaders, civil society organizations and elders to reject foreign military involvement in internal political disputes.